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[shadowglitter]

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[h2no]

Yeah. Me too.

[he won't lie or anything, thinking it's fine to admit it because... it's not odin's fault?

archie shrugs.]

I'm not here to make it a suffering pissing match. I just wanted to make sure my friend's okay.

[shadowglitter]

That's not... I'm not bringing it up to make this, like, a competition. You were murdered by those things. I wasn't. I don't know how well you're taking care of yourself if you're wasting time worrying about my reaction to your death before you're worrying about your own--

[ okay, no, he's just making this sound like a Suffering Pissing Match and he doesn't have the energy to try and explain himself coherently. ... let alone the energy to deal with the anxiety that always comes when he fails to explain himself coherently. so. he just cuts himself off, sighs, tries a different tactic. ]

I'll get over it. I'm just angry at myself. Guilty for not saving you. Guilty for being afraid to talk to you. Honestly, they're kind of the routine Odin feelings? I just didn't think they'd be directed at anyone here. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Just... need time? I dunno.

Do you wanna talk about how you're doing? You can come inside, if you want. Cuddle the dogs or something.

[h2no]

[archie just watches odin flail, feeling too nauseated to even say anything - because he did come too early, but he hates being stuck at home - while crobat croos sadly and presses its head into his hand.]

Actually... I saw somethin' on the way here I wanted to get for you. Should help in a crisis again, cause there's a set of 'em you can hide in your boots an' shit like a proper rouge-like guy.

[a beat, then he grins.]

I'm not turning down the invitation to cuddle your dogs, though.

[shadowglitter]

I really... [ odin struggles about whether or not he should say this - he doesn't want to sound ungrateful, but he also doesn't want to be... on archie's radar right now? for a lot of reasons. ]

I really don't think I should, like, accept anything from you. I let you down, man. I don't know why you're not at home blaming me for all this, you shouldn't be... worrying about me or getting me presents or-- or forcing yourself to do... whatever this is.

[ but - whatever. he scratches the back of his neck, wraps crobat in another quick hug so he doesn't think odin's mad at him or archie or anything, then just sorta paces into his house. the dogs are BIG AND BARKIN AND READY TO POUNCE ON ARCHIE THE SECOND HE'S INSIDE ]

[h2no]

[archie flaps his hand, ignoring the feeling that yet again he's not treating someone who matters to him like a person. is he? is this just a product of his fun new trauma? archie doesn't know. he doesn't know himself right now, or what's going on or just fuckin' anything.]

I'm not forcing myself to do anythin'! [he argues a little pathetically.] Look, I just-- want to do this for you.

[shadowglitter]

[ man, if Archie didn't sound so pathetic, Odin would probably keep hounding him on this, but he decides with one cloyingly pitying look that he'll drop it for now. he doesn't think Archie is handling what he went through the right way, but he's not in any place to police him.

odin heads to the living room in silence, getting licked by his dogs exactly once before they bowl on past him to meet archie instead, then he just slumps down in an armchair. he gets up a second later to fetch archie a drink, then sets it down on the table and slumps into his armchair again, all while his dogs just push into archie with all the nuzzles and whines they've got in their arsenal. ]

Okay. [ once the dogs calm down and odin has a chance to speak, he does. he sounds nervous and tense like he's expecting a Serious Conversation Where He Gets Dumped or something. ] What've you done?

[h2no]

[he startles at the question. what have you done? you let maxie die in front of you, you fucking coward--]

I-I, uh. Just. [archie distracts himself by crouching down and letting the doggos jump all over him, giving them kisses back. crobat follows them, jumping up onto a couch. if odin gets the impression it's watching archie carefully, he would be right. crobat doesn't know how he should deal with what happened either, but it's able to sense if either of them is about to have a freakout. funnily enough, when archie stalls its ears pitch forward.] I found a place. I think you'll like... it's like a blacksmith? I know you know how to take care of your stuff but there's a set there I think you'd enjoy a lot.

[shadowglitter]

... So -- so, wait.

[ Odin shoots Crobat a nervous glance, catching the way Archie jumps, catching the way the bat is so concerned. He sighs, puts his face in his hands, puts the world in darkness for a second. Odin's grateful, of course he's grateful, and he just swore to himself to give Archie a break, but - but. He's concerned. If anyone should be grilling Archie about how he's handling everything he went through, it should be someone who didn't indirectly cause half of his problems, but Odin loves him and he's gotta say something. ]

You-- okay, I really appreciate it, but how much time did you spend searching for something to make me happy? Have you - I mean, have you been home at all, or... or anything like that? How much sleep have you had since the house?

[h2no]

Uh, no offense or anything but I didn't actually go out my way to find this at all. I just walked past it on my way home and... yeah.

[fortunately, this isn't actually a lie.]

I've been home, I'm fi-- well. As fine as I can be. I'm not gonna not take care of myself. That'd just be creating problems that I could avoid and fuckin' trust me when I say I'm over creating easily avoidable problems.

[shadowglitter]

Okay. Well.

[ odin goes red, embarrassed about getting shit wrong and probably quietly calling himself stupid for misunderstanding things. but - he's still gotta be sure. ]

Sorry. I just thought maybe this was - I don't know, a distraction for you? I don't understand how you can just be back on your feet and ready to check in on me and do something kind for me already. I thought you might have been using me as a reason to not think about yourself.

[h2no]

It's fine. I get why you'd think that.

[he rubs a hand over his face.]

I'm not actually sure if it's hit me yet or what...

[shadowglitter]

I mean... it was a lot. You don't have to rush through your recovery. Don't have to force yourself to feel anything, either. The only reason I'm not freaking out is 'cause I've dealt with a lot of things in that house before, but I can't imagine you have.

[ lissa the dog puts her chin on archie's knee. odin changes his seat so he can be closer to crobat and gives it a huggo. ]

Wanna talk about any of it?

[h2no]

No.

[it's not odin, he's just worried if he does think about it too much... archie wonders if he ever really will recover, at this point.

he gives the doggie some scritches.]

Were they okay when you got back? I'm glad my Pokémon weren't with me. Same for your dogs. I guess the guy wasn't evil enough to hurt animals, huh?

[shadowglitter]

Right.

[ didn't really expect him to and he's too much of a hypocrite to tell archie that talking is good for him, so yknow. just gonna let it go. ]

They were fine. Just a little hungry and confused about where I was, but they're better now. Kinda wondering if it was a bad idea to get them, if things like this are going to happen often.

[h2no]

Mmh.

[oh that's a sad thought, that odin thinks he shouldn't have them.]

If it helps, I've been here almost eight months and that's the first time I've been or heard of people bein' stuck somewhere without bein' able to get home.

[shadowglitter]

Yeah... but you guys were right when you were warning me about how much responsibility it would take to look after them. I shouldn't have just ignored that. I've gotta at least think of a backup plan, in case I get ported out or die permanently or anything like that. I just took them in without thinking about the consequences.

[ he rubs his eyes. he doesn't sound sad, or angry a himself, or - anything, really. just... trying to be responsible. ]

I signed up for this thing last month - I don't know if you saw the audition tapes, I don't think they've been aired yet. If it pans out, I'll be in space for a month. Will you be able to come by and feed them for me? Make sure they're safe?

[h2no]

I'd tell ya to see Kanaya but... she's gone. [sad sigh.] Maybe Kaneki will have an idea.

[he continues rubbing the dog's head, thoughts venturing uncomfortably close to what would happen if odin was killed.]

Sure. You know I'll look after them whenever you need it. Maybe ask Red too; he seems good at avoidin' trouble.

[shadowglitter]

Ah - I can't really talk to Kaneki right now, so...

[ it's kind of small compared to everything that's been going on recently, but he had a bit of a social faux pas with the guy and it's better to give him some space. by social faux pas, i mean he screamed about how he was in love with a pretty girl to kaneki for about 30 minutes until he found out that was just kaneki dressed as a girl and (probably) messing with him. so... yeah ]

Thanks. I don't know if I wanna put Red out, though. He just started dating. The last thing I want to do is get all up in someone's business while they're in a relationship and take all their time away from whoever they're with.

[h2no]

Heh, I know him pretty well by now, and Blue. I think if Red knew he'd insist he helped.

[he is STILL GOIN AT THOSE SCRITCHES.]

You wanna come to this place with me or am I gonna have to carry a buncha sharp-- ah! Almost ruined the surprise.

[shadowglitter]

[ both of Odin's dogs love Archie so so much, and they're nuzzling into him, vying for attention. Odin still really isn't sure about this - maybe he's being self-centered by projecting his own way of handling things onto Archie, but he really does feel like this Archie isn't treating him the way he should be treated. He shouldn't be getting a present from Archie, man, he should be ignored or treated like someone who fucked up, or something. This is just... backing up Odin's theory that Archie likes to fix people rather than focus on himself. ]

I don't think I want to talk to anyone for a while, in general. I've done enough talking since coming back.

But - yeah. Okay. [ "sharpedo"? no, that can't be right. maybe just sharp? he likes sharp things. ] Lead the way, Archie.

[h2no]

[it takes him like five minutes to remember why he's there because the dogs are too much. they both get attention lavished on to, them archie gets up suddenly because YES RIGHT HE WAS HERE FOR A REASON.]

Can't bring them, unfortunately.

[maybe odin will be able to confirm his theory as like. dead right. so right. 110% right, even.]

What did you name 'em again?

[shadowglitter]

[ Aw, okay. Odin gives his doggos a couple more scritches behind their ears, asking them to be a good boy and a good girl and to not wreck the place because that is his job. ]

Black one's Lon'qu. Brown one is Lissa.

[ His voice isn't hard, or sad, or anything like that, because he loves talking about his dogs, but he is a little quieter when he says it. Given that he was convinced the zombies that killed the shit out of Archie were modeled after his parents, mentioning their names is a little difficult right now. ]

Can't believe you forgot it with how loudly I was screaming after them when we adopted them. [ he pauses. ] Thanks for coming with me, when I did that. I know you only wanted me to get one and I let you down on that, but... yeah. I wouldn't have been able to see all those dogs and just leave with a couple if you and Red hadn't been there to reign me in.

[h2no]

Ha, yeah...

[his brain isn't working right ok]

It's fine. I just thought-- you'd like the company, you know? I mean, not to say I didn't enjoy hanging out with you at night, you just seemed to like Mightyena more. Which isn't a bad thing!

[shadowglitter]

What? Is that how it came across? No, that's-- Archie, I love you both the same amount. I mean, in different ways, granted, but I've never loved you any less than him. Like, Mightyena can't listen to me the way you do, but you can't lick my face the way Mightyena does, you know? Well. You could, I guess. And I guess he can listen to me?

[ Odin pauses. ]

I guess I love you both in exactly the same way, after all.

[h2no]

I am absolutely not going to lick your face.

[he knows that's not what odin meant but had to clarify.]

That's cute. You're cute, you fucker. C'mon, let's go, or I'm gonna end up on the floor with your dogs again.