[Sun absolutely scooted his little goblin ass to the kitchen in a hurry when Guzma tried grabbing him again. Thank you Golisopod! The true unsung hero of these manbaby wars.
Sun doesn’t settle in the kitchen though, he can’t with the absolute tantrum Guzma seems to be throwing in the living room. In fact Sun can be seen peeking from around the corner still, a grumpy frown on his face as he watched on. Look his body was physically in the kitchen space so whatever. When Archie comes his way though he’ll pull back into the kitchen and wait for the other with his arms crossed over his chest.]
[Yeah, right now having Guzma's Pokémon leave him when he doesn't want them to would just exacerbate everything. He's already a mess from everything else, so having Scizor stay near by is honestly a pretty small consolation he's asking for here. However, as Golisopod goes to head towards Guzma's room to entirely remove him from the situation, Guzma's able to look back to the kitchen where Sun escaped to—only to see the little fucker peeking.
That grumpy frown just riles him again, and what was once a lifeless pile of limbs, turns into a frantic whirlwind of them as he tries to free himself from Golisopod. It's entirely fruitless, but that doesn't stop him from trying, or basically roaring with anger.]
You little shit!!
[But it doesn't matter, because Golisopod and Scizor are handling this drunk manbaby, and carrying him off to his room. At least his yelling is a bit more muffled behind that closed door, and it's two very sturdy Pokémon who are well acquainted with his shit dealing with him, as opposed to... a fucking 11 year old whose main experience with him has been explosive interactions such as this. Even back in his own version of their world, and he's about as equip to deal with this as any 11 year old would be.
Which is to say, not at all. Bless Archie, and bless these bugs.]
[that gets an absolutely minute flinch out of archie, but otherwise his trust in guzma's pokémon to hold him down stays strong. bless those bugs indeed. archie stays where he is until guzma disappears behind the door and his shouting goes from full volume to simply muffled.
he's not sure if it's obvious, but he acts casual enough when he joins sun in the kitchen. rubs his face and exhales.]
Sorry. It's been a rough couple months all around. [he tilts his head.] You know it's not your fault you're not the guy he wants you to be, right?
[Sun keeps his arms crossed even as Archie joined him in the kitchen. His focus isn't on Archie though, he hadn't done anything. He rolls his eyes though at the question as he lets out a frustrated sigh.]
Yeah, I'm not the one who has a problem with it. It's him who can't get over it.
[He casually shrugs though as if, you know being tossed around by Guzma wasn't an unusual occurrence at this point.]
[yeaaaah... he works that out immediately, expression-- well, his expression goes to concern to relatively flat. looks like that's a feeling he's putting in a box and locking down for now.]
...Then I guess you already know how that's gone, huh?
[With the topic switching, Sun's expression softened as well- just a smidge though. He nodded.]
...Yeah. I figured that one out pretty quickly. [His gaze falls to the ground beside him, as he awkwardly rubbed his arm.]
Look, I uh. I'm not actually that hungry right now. I could just go and you can get me lunch another time?
[Even with Guzma detained in gay baby jail, the atmosphere in the house wasn't the most welcoming for Sun right now. He also didn't know what to say to Archie about Jill's disappearance. It's not like he was roommates with her.]
[he nods, understanding. there's no use in making sun stick around for no reason, especially when it makes him so uncomfortable.]
Sure. Hey, before you know. Did anyone tell ya about the berry farm? I can give you directions and a map if you wanna go nab some for your Pokémon or the seeds to plant.
[Whether or not Archie agreed to Sun saying he was leaving didn't really matter. He was just waiting for any sort of acknowledgement he was heard before he was already starting back to the living room. It was nice though to know he could get lunch from Archie another time. He had only taken like a step though before he paused and tilted his head to the other.]
Oh, no. No one's mentioned it to me before. I mean, I've had a few berries show up at my place but I didn't know where they came from.
[he nods, grabbing a nearby sheet of paper and pen out of the drawers of a cabinet in the kitchen, haphazardly scribbling down the farm's location and how to get there from the market district in the city.
holding it out, he looks towards guzma's room door.]
I'll deal with him. I'll catch you another day, Sun.
[Sun’s patient enough to wait for the map, it’s promised distraction a worthy prize for dealing with all this nonsense today. He takes it when it’s ready though and heads to front door without looking back..]
I don’t know how you can be roommates with an ass like that.
[Maybe if he knew more than just basic Archie he wouldn’t be saying dumb stuff like that, but he doesn’t. Half way out the front door though he pauses one last time.]
Hey— Archie, I’m... sorry to hear what happened. Thanks for the help.
[He doesn't want to talk about this though so the door shuts fast after he says it, already leaving before he can get wrapped up in anything else. Maybe he’d go check out the berry farm before going home.]
[he just shrugs-- there's a lot he could say in response but none of it really... helpful. archie's not offended by it, at any rate. there's no response to sun's expression of sympathy either. if the kid even hears anything, it's a noncomittal grunt.
archie waits until sun is properly out the door, then saunters to guzma's room. sounds like it's quietened down in there... he's not sure if he should wait more or not.
sighing, he decides that it's probably better to just suck it up. he expects guzma's pokémon are doing their due diligence but expects to be hit nonetheless. he's just thankful mipha isn't home to see all this go down. that's the last thing she needs. his hand hovers over the door for a long few moments before finally, he sucks it up and knocks.]
[It's not Guzma who opens the door, or even responds (well he does, but an angry grunt is barely worthy of being called that), but rather Scizor opens the door a crack. He peers at Archie for a moment before he opens the door more fully, as if he had to decide whether or not to let Archie have access to Guzma.
Clearly he's decided on yes, particularly when he moves out of the way so Archie can come in, closing the door behind him once he has entered. Golisopod on the other hand, has all of his busy with holding Guzma who looks more like an angry, distraught child, than a grown man. His face is red with frustration and anger, and he shoots a glare at Archie that has less of an edge to it then he'd like.]
Y'coming to yell at me over that li'l punk, huh?
[There he goes, that's a proper response. His voice is low and gravely, but there's a fragility to it that bespeaks how messed up he is over this whole Jill thing. The tenseness of his body--which affects the entire room, certainly plays testament to the fact that if not for Golisopod's caring and restraining hold, Guzma might very well have launched himself at Archie.
He might still, if given the chance. There's so much aimless anger in him right now, it's a wonder the room isn't boiling. It is, however, uncomfortably warm, and it doesn't seem to be getting nay colder. Scizor looks notably uncomfortable, his wings working overtime to keep himself cool.
It doesn't go unnoticed by Guzma, even in his current state. So, quickly, with a glance to Scizor and then the ball on the floor, he adds:]
...Put Scizor in his ball.
[He might be mad and drunk, but those things will never overwrite the needs of his Pokémon.]
You're a grown man, Guzma. I'm not going to treat you like an idiot.
[even if guzma isn't acting or feeling like an adult, right now. archie feels much the same way, honestly. he's just better at keeping his bad feelings inside himself. with a short nod, he stoops down to pick up the ball and click the return button, placing it next to guzma and golisopod when the pokémon's fully disappeared.
he wrings his hands for a moment, betraying his uncertainty here.
finally, he decides he might as well be truthful:] I'm just worried about you, is all. I wanted to make sure you hadn't hurt yourself.
[even though he knows it's far too late for that.]
[That, surprisingly, eases Guzma. A shift that even Golisopod senses, and it might be why he releases his trainer. Guzma doesn't move, doesn't make a swipe at Archie. It's hard, when you've got so many damn feelings, and you have no idea how to deal with any of them. Then you do something stupid and make it worse...
Archie's uncertainty, clear and humbling, helps calm a bit of that anger. Not entriely, but a roaring fire turning into something more moderate and controlled still burns, and can go wild should it be handled carelessly. Guzma just lets out a defeated sort of sound, not quite a sob--he isn't crying, but there's also nothing else that quite fits. Bringing a hand to his face, he uses the other to push himself out of Golisopod's hold. Shifting himself to the edge of the bed so that his feet can rest on the floor as he hangs forward over his lap.]
Archie... why do you care?
[It sounds shitty, and dismissive, but it's not meant to be. He honestly wants to know, he knows he's a mess, he's aggressive, hell not that long ago he assaulted Archie over a stupid joke. He pushes shit too far, and he knows well how he fucked things up with that Nihilego knock-off... Yet here Archie is, checking on him, making sure he doesn't destroy himself or hurt himself further.
Jill's disappearance is a knife to Archie's gut too, and yet here he is... Cleaning up Guzma's mess.]
[his instinct is to reach out to him-- but, ah, he knows by now that his gut isn't always right when it comes to guzma. figures any contact right now would be knocked off, maybe make him lash out in anger if he thinks he's being pitied. sometimes he wonders if this is how shelly felt with him after the whole kyogre mess...]
We're friends, aren't we? [he says first off-- a relatively safe answer. it feels like a silent, unasked follow up is why are you still here, which... maybe he wouldn't be, if he didn't have guzma or if by some miracle guzma was able to deal with the loss in a healthy way.
jill would've kicked his ass if he had run away like he'd vaguely mentioned after that ergogan thing. he figures, even if she's not here, the response would be the same with this.] So, it hurts to see you hurt.
[He lets silence fall between them when Archie finishes his answer. It's not that Guzma lacks all empathy, he just has a hard time recognizing it at times. When Jill had opened up to him, he had felt it then, felt an ache for her, for what she had gone through... an anger that burned for her, for her situation, for the wrong doings she had faced, the pain she had suffered.
Empathy was a part of Team Skull, but that still revolved around him, didn't it? Solidarity built on his experience, and those who knew how he felt. It wouldn't be unfair to argue that maybe some of that applied to what he felt with Jill—in the end, it all came back to him. The silence is broken not by Guzma, but by Golisopod. There's a red flash, and the bug is gone, returning himself to his ball to leave the two men alone. It's that which urges Guzma to do something other than mope.
Guzma looks up at Archie from behind his hand, his expression conflicted with sadness and anger, but he also looks... lost. Uncertain. Removing his hand from his face, he lets is hover there for a moment, before he reaches forward. Grabbing Archie's wrist with a grip that's uncharacteristically weak and lacking confidence.]
I ain't—I'm... I'm no good at this. Never have been. I'm mean and shitty, I know I ain't the best sort to be around when I'm like this... or most the time.
[His grip tightens a little.]
But... I know you're hurting too. All of this shit, it's fucked, yo. And seeing that little shit—now, of all times...
[There's that anger again, his grip getting uncomfortably tight now.]
[he looks over at the red flash, quite startled. he's surprised golisopod actually left, not that he thinks any less of the bug for doing so, of course.
archie lets guzma take his wrist, not even wincing when the grip gets painful. he perseveres through it with the hope that holding back from any further pain with guzma won't make this worse.
it's a special kind of tribulation, having been a team leader and realised your past mistakes. hurts more when you know you hurt your team, too.
all he does when the grip gets a little too much is put his free hand over guzma's.]
I sent him packing. He won't come back. Don't think about him, alright? He didn't know, anyway.
[Hey, if things get testy again, Golisopod can still be called upon! He's just giving the two a little privacy. Thoughtful bug.
When Archie's hand goes over Guzma's that snaps him back, but so too do the words, and his grip lessens a bit. His gaze is on Archie, but then he looks off to the side. However, Archie's words don't seem to help too much, and Guzma's face twists into a scowl. His mind latching onto what happened just mere minutes ago, and how angry Sun makes him. All of that mess, mixed with this was like pouring salt into the wound.]
How can I not, yo! I don't care if he didn't know, he shoulda gotten a fuckin' clue when he couldn't contact her!
[It's then that Guzma releases Archie's wrist, and pulls back. His hands gripping his own knees as he closes his eyes with drunken focus and anger, his brow creasing with his anger. The heat of the room persisting, despite Archie's urging.]
He's a fuckin' punk—useless little shit who ain't even who he's s'pposed to be!
[he knows that right now, while guzma is still so drunk and emotional, that saying anything in sun's defense wouldn't go down well. he doesn't feel the need to defend the kid's honour so much as point out the obvious; how was he truly to know? coming to her house was the most logical course of action for him. not to mention he can hardly control what version of himself he is...
archie tucks these points away for later. he can take the heat; he's from the tropics, after all. again, he wants to reach out to guzma, but doesn't think it's right just now.
finally, after some thought he says one simple statement, that he feels is accurate:] You wanted him to go instead of her.
[Accurate or not, or perhaps because of its accuracy it's so potent, Guzma's eyes snap open immediately to level a glare at Archie. He's not sure how to respond, but it's like his body is moving on its own as he rises to his feet, grabbing at Archie's shirt, pulling him in closer than he already was. He's met with a conflicted sort of glare, Guzma's hands shaking in their hold as he's nearly lifting Archie off the ground.]
So?! He ain't been nothin' but a sore fuckin' reminder of what he ain't! That he'd still be here—that she'd be taken away from me—
[His voice wavers as he speaks, demonstrating the fragility of his emotions right now more than anything. He doesn't move to hit Archie, or shove him away. Just... Holds him there as he's trying to work out what he even wants to do with this anger. What he should do. He's not mad at Archie, he's mad at Sun—at Jill being taken away... at his helplessness in everything.
Ultimately, he's scared, and he doesn't know what to do about it.]
[ah, this is what he'd expected. he doesn't fight back against guzma.]
I'm not trying to get you. There's people here I'd far rather seen sent off... [not to mention knowing what she's going back to? that hurts.
he puts his hand on guzma's wrist, but unlike guzma's grip, it's far gentler, even though he feels a degree of bitterness at from me, like he's the only one--] Sun has nothing to do with it. Put me down, please.
[Sorry, Archie. When Guzma's like this, his scope is very limited. Hell, he doesn't even need to be like this for it to be limited, he's just less likely to try to widen it... but that gentleness of Archie's hands helps a bit. There's a notable pause from Guzma, before he acquiesces. His hold doesn't release, but it's less aggressive, like he's using that grip to try to find some sort of grounding.]
...Shit. I—fuck I know you ain't.
[The swirl of emotions going through Guzma is rapid and unrelenting. Anger, sorrow, frustration, grief, hatred, guilt...
Guzma moves, but not away from Archie. Instead, he leans forward and rests his head on Archie's shoulder. He doesn't say anything. He doesn't let go. He just rests there. The heat of the room is still high, but it seems to have stalled in its rise. Feeling more suffocating and oppressive in its mugginess.
Finally:]
...Why'd it have to be her, man. I—she... fuck dude, I lo—
[He chokes on that word, letting the first syllable barely escape him before he cuts it off. Drunk or not, that's a whole thing to get into, and he's not even sure if he can. His head is swimming and swamped with emotions and thoughts. All running a mile a minute, and the only thing that's keeping him from disassociating completely is Archie, honestly. Feeling his shirt in his hands, his hands on his own, his forehead against his shoulder... that's keeping him grounded. Keeping him here.]
[he lets this happen, though he's honestly surprised guzma's leaning on him. archie tenses up for a few seconds like he's expected to he thrown or something, but finally relaxes to loosely hook one arm around guzma's waist, the other gently resting in his hair. he figures guzma doesn't really need words, right now. in this state would they really sink in? there's plenty he can think of to say, but figures it might be best to be left for later.
[Look, he's drunk, emotional, and Archie's one of the only people he feels comfortable being vulnerable with. He just lost one of the others. So when Archie relaxes, snaking that arm around him, and putting his other hand in Guzma's hair, he soothes him. No lashing out, no tossing Archie like a rag doll—well... not tossing him, but...
There's a moment or two that passes after Archie said his quiet response, and Guzma's grip released from Archie's clothes, his arms likewise snaking around the other man as he held him in an embrace. What Guzma does next isn't thought out, it's driven purely by emotional need, and his drunken state has disabled any breaks that would otherwise halt it. Using that hold on Archie, he pulls him towards his bed. Pivoting on his foot to dump the other man on it, while he follows. He's not... aiming to be over Archie or anything, but it certainly looks a little compromising at the moment as he's joining him.
Honestly, he just wants to lay down with him and continue to indulge in that comfort, maybe drunkenly spoon him a little as they commiserate. He doesn't know, he doesn't know what he wants, or if this will even do him any good. His mind is so sloshed, and his emotions are so high, it's like he's on autopilot.]
[this is completely unexpected and unprecedented, so archie yelps lightly but otherwise lets guzma do his thing. he glances a little pleadingly to golisopod's ball, but... there's not much the bug can do here, is there? if guzma wants to spoon, maybe he'll see if he can call the pokémon out to join in later on. maybe he'll let himself out.
archie exhales, then puts his hand back in guzma's hair, mussing it slightly.
he has no idea what to do, other than just let this happen.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
golisolation) wrote2010-07-17 11:01 am
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Sun doesn’t settle in the kitchen though, he can’t with the absolute tantrum Guzma seems to be throwing in the living room. In fact Sun can be seen peeking from around the corner still, a grumpy frown on his face as he watched on. Look his body was physically in the kitchen space so whatever. When Archie comes his way though he’ll pull back into the kitchen and wait for the other with his arms crossed over his chest.]
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That grumpy frown just riles him again, and what was once a lifeless pile of limbs, turns into a frantic whirlwind of them as he tries to free himself from Golisopod. It's entirely fruitless, but that doesn't stop him from trying, or basically roaring with anger.]
You little shit!!
[But it doesn't matter, because Golisopod and Scizor are handling this drunk manbaby, and carrying him off to his room. At least his yelling is a bit more muffled behind that closed door, and it's two very sturdy Pokémon who are well acquainted with his shit dealing with him, as opposed to... a fucking 11 year old whose main experience with him has been explosive interactions such as this. Even back in his own version of their world, and he's about as equip to deal with this as any 11 year old would be.
Which is to say, not at all. Bless Archie, and bless these bugs.]
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he's not sure if it's obvious, but he acts casual enough when he joins sun in the kitchen. rubs his face and exhales.]
Sorry. It's been a rough couple months all around. [he tilts his head.] You know it's not your fault you're not the guy he wants you to be, right?
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Yeah, I'm not the one who has a problem with it. It's him who can't get over it.
[He casually shrugs though as if, you know being tossed around by Guzma wasn't an unusual occurrence at this point.]
I didn't even come over here for him, so.
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...Then I guess you already know how that's gone, huh?
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...Yeah. I figured that one out pretty quickly. [His gaze falls to the ground beside him, as he awkwardly rubbed his arm.]
Look, I uh. I'm not actually that hungry right now. I could just go and you can get me lunch another time?
[Even with Guzma detained in gay baby jail, the atmosphere in the house wasn't the most welcoming for Sun right now. He also didn't know what to say to Archie about Jill's disappearance. It's not like he was roommates with her.]
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Sure. Hey, before you know. Did anyone tell ya about the berry farm? I can give you directions and a map if you wanna go nab some for your Pokémon or the seeds to plant.
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Oh, no. No one's mentioned it to me before. I mean, I've had a few berries show up at my place but I didn't know where they came from.
[It was Dong. Dong stole them.]
Yeah though, I'd like that.
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holding it out, he looks towards guzma's room door.]
I'll deal with him. I'll catch you another day, Sun.
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I don’t know how you can be roommates with an ass like that.
[Maybe if he knew more than just basic Archie he wouldn’t be saying dumb stuff like that, but he doesn’t. Half way out the front door though he pauses one last time.]
Hey— Archie, I’m... sorry to hear what happened. Thanks for the help.
[He doesn't want to talk about this though so the door shuts fast after he says it, already leaving before he can get wrapped up in anything else. Maybe he’d go check out the berry farm before going home.]
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archie waits until sun is properly out the door, then saunters to guzma's room. sounds like it's quietened down in there... he's not sure if he should wait more or not.
sighing, he decides that it's probably better to just suck it up. he expects guzma's pokémon are doing their due diligence but expects to be hit nonetheless. he's just thankful mipha isn't home to see all this go down. that's the last thing she needs. his hand hovers over the door for a long few moments before finally, he sucks it up and knocks.]
Guzma...?
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Clearly he's decided on yes, particularly when he moves out of the way so Archie can come in, closing the door behind him once he has entered. Golisopod on the other hand, has all of his busy with holding Guzma who looks more like an angry, distraught child, than a grown man. His face is red with frustration and anger, and he shoots a glare at Archie that has less of an edge to it then he'd like.]
Y'coming to yell at me over that li'l punk, huh?
[There he goes, that's a proper response. His voice is low and gravely, but there's a fragility to it that bespeaks how messed up he is over this whole Jill thing. The tenseness of his body--which affects the entire room, certainly plays testament to the fact that if not for Golisopod's caring and restraining hold, Guzma might very well have launched himself at Archie.
He might still, if given the chance. There's so much aimless anger in him right now, it's a wonder the room isn't boiling. It is, however, uncomfortably warm, and it doesn't seem to be getting nay colder. Scizor looks notably uncomfortable, his wings working overtime to keep himself cool.
It doesn't go unnoticed by Guzma, even in his current state. So, quickly, with a glance to Scizor and then the ball on the floor, he adds:]
...Put Scizor in his ball.
[He might be mad and drunk, but those things will never overwrite the needs of his Pokémon.]
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[even if guzma isn't acting or feeling like an adult, right now. archie feels much the same way, honestly. he's just better at keeping his bad feelings inside himself. with a short nod, he stoops down to pick up the ball and click the return button, placing it next to guzma and golisopod when the pokémon's fully disappeared.
he wrings his hands for a moment, betraying his uncertainty here.
finally, he decides he might as well be truthful:] I'm just worried about you, is all. I wanted to make sure you hadn't hurt yourself.
[even though he knows it's far too late for that.]
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Archie's uncertainty, clear and humbling, helps calm a bit of that anger. Not entriely, but a roaring fire turning into something more moderate and controlled still burns, and can go wild should it be handled carelessly. Guzma just lets out a defeated sort of sound, not quite a sob--he isn't crying, but there's also nothing else that quite fits. Bringing a hand to his face, he uses the other to push himself out of Golisopod's hold. Shifting himself to the edge of the bed so that his feet can rest on the floor as he hangs forward over his lap.]
Archie... why do you care?
[It sounds shitty, and dismissive, but it's not meant to be. He honestly wants to know, he knows he's a mess, he's aggressive, hell not that long ago he assaulted Archie over a stupid joke. He pushes shit too far, and he knows well how he fucked things up with that Nihilego knock-off... Yet here Archie is, checking on him, making sure he doesn't destroy himself or hurt himself further.
Jill's disappearance is a knife to Archie's gut too, and yet here he is... Cleaning up Guzma's mess.]
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We're friends, aren't we? [he says first off-- a relatively safe answer. it feels like a silent, unasked follow up is why are you still here, which... maybe he wouldn't be, if he didn't have guzma or if by some miracle guzma was able to deal with the loss in a healthy way.
jill would've kicked his ass if he had run away like he'd vaguely mentioned after that ergogan thing. he figures, even if she's not here, the response would be the same with this.] So, it hurts to see you hurt.
[he sighs, looking down at the floor.]
'Specially when I get why.
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Empathy was a part of Team Skull, but that still revolved around him, didn't it? Solidarity built on his experience, and those who knew how he felt. It wouldn't be unfair to argue that maybe some of that applied to what he felt with Jill—in the end, it all came back to him. The silence is broken not by Guzma, but by Golisopod. There's a red flash, and the bug is gone, returning himself to his ball to leave the two men alone. It's that which urges Guzma to do something other than mope.
Guzma looks up at Archie from behind his hand, his expression conflicted with sadness and anger, but he also looks... lost. Uncertain. Removing his hand from his face, he lets is hover there for a moment, before he reaches forward. Grabbing Archie's wrist with a grip that's uncharacteristically weak and lacking confidence.]
I ain't—I'm... I'm no good at this. Never have been. I'm mean and shitty, I know I ain't the best sort to be around when I'm like this... or most the time.
[His grip tightens a little.]
But... I know you're hurting too. All of this shit, it's fucked, yo. And seeing that little shit—now, of all times...
[There's that anger again, his grip getting uncomfortably tight now.]
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archie lets guzma take his wrist, not even wincing when the grip gets painful. he perseveres through it with the hope that holding back from any further pain with guzma won't make this worse.
it's a special kind of tribulation, having been a team leader and realised your past mistakes. hurts more when you know you hurt your team, too.
all he does when the grip gets a little too much is put his free hand over guzma's.]
I sent him packing. He won't come back. Don't think about him, alright? He didn't know, anyway.
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When Archie's hand goes over Guzma's that snaps him back, but so too do the words, and his grip lessens a bit. His gaze is on Archie, but then he looks off to the side. However, Archie's words don't seem to help too much, and Guzma's face twists into a scowl. His mind latching onto what happened just mere minutes ago, and how angry Sun makes him. All of that mess, mixed with this was like pouring salt into the wound.]
How can I not, yo! I don't care if he didn't know, he shoulda gotten a fuckin' clue when he couldn't contact her!
[It's then that Guzma releases Archie's wrist, and pulls back. His hands gripping his own knees as he closes his eyes with drunken focus and anger, his brow creasing with his anger. The heat of the room persisting, despite Archie's urging.]
He's a fuckin' punk—useless little shit who ain't even who he's s'pposed to be!
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archie tucks these points away for later. he can take the heat; he's from the tropics, after all. again, he wants to reach out to guzma, but doesn't think it's right just now.
finally, after some thought he says one simple statement, that he feels is accurate:] You wanted him to go instead of her.
no subject
So?! He ain't been nothin' but a sore fuckin' reminder of what he ain't! That he'd still be here—that she'd be taken away from me—
[His voice wavers as he speaks, demonstrating the fragility of his emotions right now more than anything. He doesn't move to hit Archie, or shove him away. Just... Holds him there as he's trying to work out what he even wants to do with this anger. What he should do. He's not mad at Archie, he's mad at Sun—at Jill being taken away... at his helplessness in everything.
Ultimately, he's scared, and he doesn't know what to do about it.]
no subject
I'm not trying to get you. There's people here I'd far rather seen sent off... [not to mention knowing what she's going back to? that hurts.
he puts his hand on guzma's wrist, but unlike guzma's grip, it's far gentler, even though he feels a degree of bitterness at from me, like he's the only one--] Sun has nothing to do with it. Put me down, please.
no subject
...Shit. I—fuck I know you ain't.
[The swirl of emotions going through Guzma is rapid and unrelenting. Anger, sorrow, frustration, grief, hatred, guilt...
Guzma moves, but not away from Archie. Instead, he leans forward and rests his head on Archie's shoulder. He doesn't say anything. He doesn't let go. He just rests there. The heat of the room is still high, but it seems to have stalled in its rise. Feeling more suffocating and oppressive in its mugginess.
Finally:]
...Why'd it have to be her, man. I—she... fuck dude, I lo—
[He chokes on that word, letting the first syllable barely escape him before he cuts it off. Drunk or not, that's a whole thing to get into, and he's not even sure if he can. His head is swimming and swamped with emotions and thoughts. All running a mile a minute, and the only thing that's keeping him from disassociating completely is Archie, honestly. Feeling his shirt in his hands, his hands on his own, his forehead against his shoulder... that's keeping him grounded. Keeping him here.]
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the only thing guzma gets is a quiet:] I know.
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There's a moment or two that passes after Archie said his quiet response, and Guzma's grip released from Archie's clothes, his arms likewise snaking around the other man as he held him in an embrace. What Guzma does next isn't thought out, it's driven purely by emotional need, and his drunken state has disabled any breaks that would otherwise halt it. Using that hold on Archie, he pulls him towards his bed. Pivoting on his foot to dump the other man on it, while he follows. He's not... aiming to be over Archie or anything, but it certainly looks a little compromising at the moment as he's joining him.
Honestly, he just wants to lay down with him and continue to indulge in that comfort, maybe drunkenly spoon him a little as they commiserate. He doesn't know, he doesn't know what he wants, or if this will even do him any good. His mind is so sloshed, and his emotions are so high, it's like he's on autopilot.]
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archie exhales, then puts his hand back in guzma's hair, mussing it slightly.
he has no idea what to do, other than just let this happen.]
Try sleep it off, yeah?
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