[Closed]

[namesaquestion]

WHO: Nikolai, Archie (+ probably select others later on)
WHERE: NNiko's place to start with
WHEN: After his brush with Archer
WHAT: Time to learn a Team Rocket Admin has joined them.
WARNINGS: Talk of less than stellar parenting for one. Warnings will be put up in the thread as needed

[Even by the time he gets home, Niko's still shaken. Still angry and wanting nothing more than to sink into that simmering, boiling rage. Still upset that an otherwise good day -good month- was ruined and he wishes it is all some really bad fucked up dream, but he's also wishing the moon wasn't like it was.

He doesn't know what to do outside of pace. Kris isn't here. No-one's here-

Fuck. No. He has others he could tell. People he could... trust.

Archie, at least. The man's his legal guardian and Jacob is probably already checking out the Not-Moon so even if he texted him right now, it wouldn't do anything.

Archie it is, then. If-

His hands shake as he types out the message to Archie.]

someone from Team Rocket is here

help

[Rage, fear, hatred of his own inability to deal with this himself? He doesn't know.

Funnily, Lance doesn't even cross his mind.]

Comments

[h2no]

i'm here [he replies immediately. likely niko might expect him to be dealing with that new moon, but archie can't do much about it.] are you at home? i'm on my way

[he didn't say giovanni, but that doesn't mean it ISN'T giovanni. archie's chest clenches with anxiety as he sets off, aiming to get to niko's place within the hour. as fast as he can, though he lingers at the porter until he gets an answer.]

[namesaquestion]

yea

home dorrs unlock but knock first

baku guarding

[By the time Archie gets there, Niko is.. not so much calm as curled up with both Mutt and Shiko while Baku watches the door.

There are signs, though, that Niko has very much kicked a few things. Namely the wall. That is very much a food shaped hole there. Also some of his berry pots have been kicked over.]

[h2no]

got it

[he follows niko's instructions, giving baku a little pat on the head as he's let in. he sits next to niko when he sees him on the couch (at leat, as close as he can between the huge crobat and mutt with him) and puts a hand on his shoulder gently.]

Hey... which one was it? [the answer he's dreading.]

[namesaquestion]

[There isn't much reaction outside a quick grin. The ghost is more focused on guarding than anything else.

But given how tense Niko is? It's understandable.

As much as the hand is gentle, he still jumps a bit only settle down right after, Shiko unsubtly shifting with a concerned chitter. Fuck. At least the bat and hand weight is something else to ground him, to remind him that he's-

Fuck if Niko knows outside the weight of Archie's hand is as welcome as Shiko right now.]

Not him. Archer. Dad's righthand man. Right at the end of the Swear-In.

[h2no]

[thank fuck. some shithead admin is way better than the man himself. archie exchanges a worried glance with the crobat. he finds himself angry, too. briefly almost shaking with it that a rocket has the gall to be ported in, their choice or not.]

Did he do anything? [he asks, voice far calmer than he's feeling.] If he goes near you again I'll break his fucking legs, [he sneers, not something he'd want to say in front of niko, but the anger forces it out. white-hot; he doesn't even know what archer looks like. doesn't care.]

[namesaquestion]

[A shake of his head.]

It was public enough all he could do was- was talk down to me, like I'm still that stupid kid I was. Like none of what happened even mattered, like he could just pick up where everything left off before he turned tail and fled like dad.

[And the horrible, terrible part of Niko knows, that if he wasn't so angry? so bitter and hellbent against not being like his father? He'd have rolled over and gotten Archer up to speed on this stupid, dumb world.

That said, the threat does get a bit of laugh from him before a dark, cruel look flits over his face.] Assuming I don't feed him to Baku first.

[h2no]

He'd want you to think that. Make you easier to manipulate.

[he huffs.] Too quick for the likes of him. He'd just pop back out the Porter, anyway.

[tilting his head:] Do you want to come and stay with me until we sort this out?

[namesaquestion]

... It almost worked, too. If it wasn't- At least you're my guardian here, not him. Yes. I can't stay- Not here. He'll find it. Sure he's without the Rockets resources now, but he had me followed and watched back home because of my status. Former status. I'm not the Rocket Heir. Not any more and I'd sooner join to dismantle it for good than be what they want me to be! He claimed it kept me safe from harm or something but where the fuck where they when I fell off the cliff that earned me Shiko?!

[At this point, the crobat chitters, shifting so he can wrap Niko (and Archie and Mutt) up in a wing-hug.]

He knows stupid details too, like how I stole Oda, but I told him I didn't. That I'm not from the same Universe as him! But I did steal the pokemon because I could, because I wanted it. Because it- He. Oda is perfect for me and he's mine now. Mine.

[He hates how small his voice sounds, how weak. It's pathetic, like he is and the words sort of just continue to tumble out of his mouth, as if he stops talking it'll give Archie a chance to yank that offer away, especially once he learns the truth of how he got Oda.] I want to join Aqua! I got a water type, don't I?

[h2no]

Hey, hey, it's alright. [as shiko does, archie uses his hand on niko's shoulder to pull him into a little more of a hug. their first one! fueled by terror and anxiety! cool.

there's a lot in what niko is saying archie wants to ask about, but he doesn't. not now. he'll approach most of it later.] You'll be safe at my place. The location isn't publically accessible and me along with everyone there wouldn't let him get close to you. Finn alone would destroy him.

[he pulls niko a little closer, putting his hand on that red hair for a little petpetpet. hopefully it's... soothing? not sure.]

He's nothing here. Not without the Rockets. He won't have them, either.

CW: Self-Victim blaming.

[namesaquestion]

[Sometimes that's how first found family hugs are, and between Archie and Shiko and Mutt (who takes this time to make herself at home across both Archie and Niko's laps), Niko can feel himself - not relax, but the adrenaline is finally starting to crash and with it, the last dregs of whatever anger he's been trying to keep alive.

In its place comes fear. Worry. Paranoia. And he starts to shake as the knot settles and builds in his stomach, thoughts caught in the undertow and he can do nothing to stop it. To stop the feeling of being small and helpless. Like the achievements he'd managed back home meaning nothing, like he didn't do them on his own. That he was helped from the shadows, or the path was made easier.

It means he wasn't good enough and that means what he's managed here isn't good enough either.

It's shameful at how weak, how much of a failure he is. At how stupid he is for not noticing what had happened back home. Now here; he'd failed. Failed to notice the man before the night had ended with the Not Moon.]

You don't know that.

[It's more upset that he wants to sound.

He's weak. Powerless. Worthless. He doesn't even have the energy to hate himself for it.]

[h2no]

[he keeps hold. no matter what, he doesn't want niko to see anything as him backing off. silently, archie wonders why he couldn't see this before-- he knew nikolai had issues with rocket, but he was too blinded by his own anger to even consider it. he's annoyed with hismelf he could've never seen it. niko is a child, for arceus's sake.]

I know that whatever happens, I'm not gonna leave you to deal with it alone. [he says gently.] Do you want to come over tonight? We can move your stuff properly tomorrow.

[namesaquestion]

[It's mostly called Niko had no real reason to go into said issues, to aloow himself to be so weak and vulnerable- until now. But, that Archie doesn't just back off when he starts to shake? That's, as far as Niko cares right now both good-]

You say that now-

[-and bad. Because honestly? Yea. Niko's expecting Archie to just. Leave as soon as he finds out how weak he really is. (Never mind all the evidence on the contrary).] I--

[He wants to say Archie can shove it, that he doesn't need protecting or want to move because he likes it here. But even if it's only a front-] Hmph. I can't just leave her here.

[Dialga on a sentret, he sounds so lame and flat-

He wishes he could pokeball Mutt right now. Just. Do that, grab a grab bag with his most important things and run fly.]

[h2no]

She can come with. It's hardly a no pets policy. Bodhi has a dog, too. Maybe they'll make friends...

[he looks around a little, mentally cataloging what niko should bring with him already.]

You can come with me now or I'll stay the night. It's up to you, but I think staying somewhere that's not accessible to just anyone is a good idea. He won't find the place, and if he does then he'll have to deal with me and three trained soldiers. One of which is very trigger happy.

I'm going to label the rest of this as Survival Mode

[namesaquestion]

How? Can't Fly with a dog-

[Niko clamps his mouth shut with a slight flinch. Archie is helping right now. The least he could do is be a good kid and go along with it for however long it lasts.

A lot of it will be clothes. Essentials. Enough dog food for at least two meals. Dog toys. Most of his berries are in the harvest stage, though one plant in a blue pot is very much not. It's only just sprouted.

That staying or going is up to him-] I'll come.

[Of course, he's going to run and hide.

He does try and start to extract himself, but Shiko is Not Having It and the other wing completes the Bat Hug Of Doom.] Not now-

[Yea no. No one is going anywhere until you have stopped shaking, Niko. Deal with it.]

this poor lad

[h2no]

I'll take her myself-- or I'll go out and get a crate tomorrow.

[he rubs niko's arm.]

We'll keep you safe. Me an' your team. Your family, huh?

[namesaquestion]

You can take her-

[Between emotionally drained to the point of numb fear, running on exhausted, crashing adrenaline, it's a while before he answers the question, and even it's a muted nod.

Family... Yea. Sure. But he'll believe it, for now.

It's a while longer before Shiko even deigns to release the hug, why which point Niko is half asleep against the pokemon.

Just as Shiko planned.]

[h2no]

[he waits. he has plenty time, after all. nothing but. he's still there whenever niko wakes, still sitting where he was before. he's been looking at his comm (mercifully didn't need the bathroom) and looking for movers. one hand is on shiko's side, mussed in the bat's fur.]

[namesaquestion]

[He doesn't sleep for long, maybe only two or so hours, though by that point Mutt's retreated to her bed with of her many, many chew toys. It's just enough he's not running on fumes, but also not enough to be called real sleep by any stretch. It doesn't help that it wasn't the most restful either even with the feeling of Safety given by Shiko, but...

That's par for the course.] ... You didn't go...?

[He's not sure what to feel. Maybe relief? Fuck if he knows. He's sunk into blissful numbness.] -Lance should know. About Archer.

[h2no]

No, 'course not. [archie nods, getting up to give niko some space, standing across the room near the tv.] We can worry about that later. You got some bags around? Grab the essentials, I can come back here myself later and get more.

[a beat:] Ah, an' I thought on it. Welcome to Team Aqua, grunt!

[said with a light laugh, reaching over to ruffle niko's hair.]

1/2?

[namesaquestion]

Yea. I got bags.

[Said as he stands, using Shiko as something to lean against. He takes the silence on Lance to mean he needs to do the text. Which he does, using the mental link to his comm. Sorta. Because he's kinda. Muttering the message as well.]

[tr archer here

fml

help?]

Texted Lance to- Hey! Not a grunt!

[It's more automatic than anything even if he is actually a grunt now. As is batting the hand away before it can make a bird's nest out of his hair. That said, once it sinks in what Archie actually said-] Not a grunt, an Aqua Grunt!

[Hi, he'll take pride in that complete with puffing up just a fraction, thanks. It means he's not a Rocket.] Texted Lance, told him to come here...?

[It's more a question, but he vanishes to grab a generic duffle bag and starts to pack it, taking the time to ensure everything's folded. He's gonna be a while.

Also. He has forgotten the gengar that is guarding the door. Said gengar is watching everything from half in the shadows by the door.]

[h2no]

Alright. Tell him your address, I'll start packing--

[a beat.






oh, right.] Ah-- don't forget about Baku. Ho! Baku, get over here! I'll give you a hat if you promise not to eat Lance's soul!

[namesaquestion]

[And Niko adds his address in a follow-up text before returning to packing

and then a follow-up to that, which is basically 'knock n bring a hat 4 the gengar.' It's not that he doesn't have faith in Archie but-

He knows what he asked Baku to do and in his mind, knocking and hat(s) should be ok?

Whatever. He's packing his bag, making sure all fruiting berry plants are stripped of the berries. The rest can be picked up tomorrow.

And that the blue berry pot is coming with him. He's not risking that one.

Baku, for his part, slowly goes over to Archie but keeps looking at the door. Look, this a ghost that takes Niko's orders seriously.]

[innerdragon]

[Lance sees the message, but doesn't actually reply. He's still not feeling all that great after the ordeal with Guzma, but he's managing.

Some time later there's a knock on the door.]

[namesaquestion]

It's open!

[Niko's almost done packing. Honestly.

He's just. Taking a break. That's curled up on the couch half-hearted playing tug of war with Mutt.

That said, when the door opens? he blinks, eyes wide with honest to god surprise that Lance actually came.] ... you came.

[innerdragon]

[Hearing that, the man came in. Nodding once in silence to Nikolai, he then tossed a hat in Gengar's direction once he caught sight of him. It was a blue cap with OceanLand's logo embroidered on it.]