ccclosed

[h2no]

WHO: archie and brenden
WHERE: pokéhouse
WHEN: grunts
WHAT: just. CALM DOMESTIC STUFF. OKAY. NOTHING IS HAPPENING. THAT'S THE POINT. IT'S NORMAL.
WARNINGS: pppppossible discussion of past/current brain struggles



[it's... early. ish. about 9, when archie rolls his ass into the kitchen. he's usually up earlier, but the mightyenas didn't jump on him for a walk this morning for whatever reason (maybe they knew he could do with the lay in) and so 5 30 went past.

it feels weird, having been in the new year of a world he doesn't know, but archie had a good time regardless. he ignores the existential feelings and pulls a pan out, dumping some leftover pancake batter into it, with the intention of taking it to brendan. cliché - and he has no doubt brendan will mention that - sure, but it's gotta be friggin' eaten sometime.

both mightyeans pad into the kitchen after him, maxie's yawning and laying down in the bright morning sun near the double glass doors that lead outside and archie's leaning against his legs.]

What? Did you two break out and spend all night runnin' around or somethin'?

[mightyena sleepily boofs in answer.]

Comments

[pale_blue_arrow]

They're part of a dog mafia, [Brendan deadpans, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. New year or not, nothing ever managed to get him over his inability to sleep well. He'd spent most of the night watching Scarlet attempt to scale the wall, her tiny pout now bearing more and more adult teeth. It's hard to avoid thoughts of Manabu and what Brendan had thought they'd be doing right about now.

So to distract himself, he asks,] Is there coffee? I need it to live.

[h2no]

Wouldn't surprise me at this point.

[unable - or unwilling, same difference - to move, archie points over at the percolator.]

I made that about ten minutes ago so it's still hot. Go nuts. How'd you sleep?

[pale_blue_arrow]

It wouldn't be the weirdest thing we've seen here, no.

[This is their life, now. He makes his way towards the coffee, pouring himself a cup in order to try to distract himself from his possible depression. According to his therapists, it wasn't good to dwell. According to him, without school in session there wasn't much else to do.]

Had a weird sex dream about Poe. Don't think it actually means I'm into him, though. Woke up and Scarlet was snoring. Gonna text the vet, make sure quolls are supposed t' do that. How'd you sleep?

[He takes a scorching sip of his coffee, ignoring his burnt tongue to pull out his phone and send the vet a quick text. Scarlet seemed healthy, but Brendan had failed biology back home, so he was a shitty judge of that and they all knew it.]

[h2no]

Wouldn't even be the weirdest thing I'd see back home, either. [he comments mildly, flipping the pancake.] I didn't realise you knew him.

[well, it's not a big thing.]

Alright. Almost stuffed a sock into Matt's mouth to stop him snoring at one point.

[he bumps the mightyena away, so he can move a bit more.]

She looks alright... maybe it was how she was laying. I can always give her a heal if you're really worried.

[pale_blue_arrow]

Your home's a fever dream like that, yeah. [He shrugs, lightly, not looking up from his phone as the vet texts back.] Met him a few months back. He's a good guy. Dunno why he puts up with me, but that's my response to most of my friends at this point.

I hope you mean a clean sock. Your dirty ones would kill the guy. Little bit of an overreaction, there.

The vet says it's probably nothing. Scarlet doesn't seem any less perky, either. Still, better safe than sorry. And she likes being held by you anyway.

[h2no]

Ugh! Gross, of course I do! [he snorts a little.] He is, and so are you. That's why people like ya, dummy.

What'd the vet say? I'll do it after this.

[pale_blue_arrow]

I'm a teenager, that's not an of course. I've seen things, Arch. [He wants to snark in reply to that, but his therapists were united in telling him that it was annoying to snark at compliments. Instead, he just shifts uncomfortably.]

She says quolls snore if they're sleeping on uneven surfaces so I might want to get Scarlet a new bed, since she's getting bigger. But if it persists then it might be a seasonal congestion thing. Either way, it's not serious.

[h2no]

I'm getting flashbacks to my college dorm...

[he shakes his head with another short laugh.]

Oof-- I'm sure she's gonna be fine. You want anything on these?

[he points with the spatula to the pan. with the... pancakes.]

[pale_blue_arrow]

You went to college? What'd you major in? [Is aquatics a major?

He starts digging through the fridge, then sighs.] I was gonna say 'blueberries' but we're out. So no, I guess. I'll have to get more later. Scarlet loves those.

[h2no]

Marine biology, shockingly. I ended up dropping out after the second year... wasn't really enjoying the study life. Shelly always says I coulda got a PhD if I'd tried hard enough but... eh. Easy for her to say, already having one.

[he shakes his head. he doesn't regret the path he took; it led him to matt, after all.]

We should have a bunch of Oran berries in there. They're like-- blueberries from my world. Real sweet. Or there's Rowap berries, which're also blue but mega sour. What taste you feelin'?

[pale_blue_arrow]

Makes sense. Don't know if I'd say a Ph.d is worth it, but I'm from California, I'm jaded about that stuff. Ever consider going back into that whole field of study here? Could be interesting.

Sweet. Sour is not my thing. Which ones are which?

[h2no]

Different worlds, different academic climates. It's worth it back home, but I think after the Kyogre shit I'll be staying low-key for a while if not the rest of my life.

[at least it's not jail.]

The Rowap ones're split into three on each bunch. The Oran berries are just one big blue one.

[pale_blue_arrow]

If you shaved, nobody'd recognize you at a college back home. Just sayin'.

[Brendan hands him the correct bag of berries, after taking one and popping it in his mouth to taste test.]

These are good.

[h2no]

I have babyface. That's a choice I'll never make.

[he dumps some of them over the pancakes, putting them on a plate.]

They're the most common berries back home. They grow fully in about half a day.

[pale_blue_arrow]

Maybe shave your head, then? Everyone's so used to the bandanna that baldness would throw them right off.

If I lived in your world I might actually eat fruit regularly. We should try selling this stuff, get some extra income. Scarlet's growing out of her old jacket.

[h2no]

Maybe. If I'm going to be going fucking grey this early anyway.

[he holds the plate out??? DELICIOUS PANCAKES.]

Honestly, between Matt, me an' Maxie havin' a fair income, I don't think we need to worry about that. The berries are probably already fucking up the ecosystem anyway, 'cause I doubt Blue is very careful.

[pale_blue_arrow]

Gray'd look sexy on you. [Flinch.] Sorry, sorry. I know you hate it when I do that. My therapist thinks this is a side-effect of 'being exposed to an overly sexual environment during the early part of formative years'. But I'm working on it. 'm trying, anyway.

Fine, but if Scarlet needs somethin' I'm selling those on the street and telling people they can smoke 'em to get high. [He takes the offered plate of pancakes, trying to swerve off the awkward train of thought that is his own inability not to make things weird. He really does do his best. At the very least, he's stopped reading sexual subtext into Shakespeare where it doesn't belong and hasn't hit on any adults besides, unfortunately, Archie, and at least then it's just this one instance of snark.] Thanks. For breakfast, I mean.

[h2no]

Does, [he says, pulling his bandana off with a dramatic flourish. sure is a bunch of grey streaks through his hair that weren't there 6 months ago. ah, stress... and mostly both his parents having gone grey early.] An' don't worry 'bout it. You're trying.

[he rubs his chin.]

Some of them if ya cook right actually can act as psychedelics. Not tellin' which or how, though.

[pale_blue_arrow]

...is living with me that stressful? [Brendan asks quietly, feeling guilt wash over him suddenly.] That wasn't there when I first got put with you as a roomie back when we met.

Don't give me ideas, Arch.

[h2no]

Ha! No! This is entirely on Maxie! [he raises his voice a little, like he's shouting to the guy who's still upstairs in his room.] Fucker shows up and I instantly turn into an old man. He has that effect on people.

[and also just everything. honestly, considering the shit archie puts on himself, brendan is bottom of the list in terms of stress.]

Alright, I'll be honest, then. We don't have that berry here. [as in, this house, so technically not a lie!] Though you can cook them a bunch of ways. I'll show you which are which later.

[pale_blue_arrow]

The joys of true love, [he deadpans, returning to his pancakes now that, for the moment at least, his concern that he's made things worse is temporarily soothed over.]

Doesn't mean I can't tell people they can smoke 'em and sell 'em anyway. Although if you could label the sour ones so I know which ones to avoid, that'd be great.

[h2no]

Uh huh. They're all in tupperware, I'll just put labels on it.

[he shrugs.]

Ain't that the kinda stuff you should be avoiding?

[pale_blue_arrow]

M' bored, Arch. Manabu's gone, school's out, and my brain goes places when I'm not busy. This can't be a surprise to you by now.

[h2no]

Then ya know what that means. [he taps the counter.] Ya gotta find somethin' to be busy!

Hobbies. What're you into?

[pale_blue_arrow]

Reading gay subtext into Shakespeare, watching old detective movies, critiquing fanfic of myself and my friends people post online, having crushes of varying intensity on jazz musicians based purely on their music, entertaining Scarlet with the harmonica and lamenting my past fuck-ups.

It's a full load.