maskormenace | 2nd 💀 Video; Backdated to 7/4

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2nd 💀 Video; Backdated to 7/4

[When the video clicks on, the viewers are greeted with several faces in a shady area—or maybe it's just not particularly sunny despite being mid-afternoon. Either way, two of those faces most will be familiar with, but especially one in particular: Darin's. Though, his is bloodied and bruised, as if someone wailed on him with their fists. Actually, it looks like that's exactly what happened. He's also notably unconscious—his head being held up by Guzma (the other familiar face), whose fist is full of Darin's hair to do so. He also looks pretty damn smug—if not downright delighted—to a degree that's a little worrying.

The others in view are decidedly less human. In fact, they aren't at all—above Darin hangs a red and black spider, staring at the camera with large purple eyes full of interest and curiosity towards it. He seems to be keeping himself up on what looks like thick webbing that's hanging down from somewhere and connects to Darin... because Darin has been wrapped up in web. A partial cocoon covering his torso and arms. Curiously, there's blood on Darin beyond his busted face—soaking through the webbing that's around him. Awesome!

Next is a moth-like Pokémon, who seems fit to hide most of his body behind that arm of Guzma's that's holding Darin's head up. His little face peeking up over it to look into the camera as well. To the right of him is a hulking bug that looks similar to an isopod if it was on roids. He's got weird cross shaped white pupils, and unlike the other two who seem both interested and excited to be on camera, he holds himself far more reserved and stoic. More like a threatening backdrop to the whole thing.

The last member of this shitty sadistic selfie is a brown beetle-like monster the size of a child, who stands directly besides Darin. His eyes are wide and intense, almost hostile, as he stares at the camera. This hostility is only further emphasized by the obvious blood on the spikes of his pincers.

...And then a second later Pinsir fucking dabs, without breaking eye contact with the camera. As if the idiot bug even knows what the gesture means, but he's seen people do it, and they were on camera too! It makes sense to him. Guzma doesn't seem to mind. He doesn't comment on it, he might not have even noticed, honestly.

He's got more important matters to address:]

Listen up, idiots! It's ya boy again, and I'm here with a special message, a PSA, of sorts, yo.

[He glances to Darin, who is still very much so knocked out, before looking back into the feed. That sinister smirk still on his face.]

Just in case any of you rotten upstarts was under the absurd impression that big bad Guzma was a dude to cross, take it from poor Darin here: I ain't. You mess with me, and I'll crush you, just like I did him.

[As Guzma talks, he's swaying Darin's head side to side by the hold he has on his hair.]

This idiot thought he could stand up to me, that he could beat me down. Hell, in some warped sense of heroic idiocy, he even thought he could help me, HA! Some stupid soft shit like that—and where did it get him!? [Guzma lets go of his hair, letting Darin's head fall emphatically into a hanging position.] No where good, I can tell ya that much.

Your boy still stands, but this loser sure ain't, huh?

[Guzma gives Darin a good little spin as he walks away from the scene with the camera still pointed at himself. The spin, and the more Darin comes into view it's clear he's being suspended by that web that's wrapped around him. However, with that little crowd taking up less of the background, viewers can get more of an idea of where this little broadcast is happening: in an alleyway. Somewhere.

Super helpful!]

Consider this fair warning, y'all. I won't be handing out another.

[He lowers the communicator, making the camera view him from below as he's about to cut the feed, his hand hovering as he stares down at it for a moment as something occurs to him:]

—Oh, yeah. Those of you who give a damn and wanna clean that mess up, [he gestures over his shoulder towards Darin with his thumb, even though he's currently blocking the view of him,] he's in Maurtia Falls. Somewhere on the east side. Never been too good at giving directions, but I'm sure you hero-types can figure it out.

Later days, y'all!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[honestly? after finding out about their first fight, archie isn't surprised they both went in for more. he's not surprised darin pushed himself so hard when he was weakened, either. in fact, his first instinct is to be pretty fucking annoyed darin let guzma bring out his worst like this and didn't bother to call for back up! why is everyone so easily riled by guzma, honestly? his brand of bullying isn't even that unique.

ah, well. he thinks for a moment before he responds; archie did this exact same shit when he was in the peak of his own villainy, after all. his didn't always involve hurting anyone, but it was the same sort of concept.]

You gonna do something about that bent wing Masquerain has? [it's a shot in the dark, but... he's trying to be smart about this. he's already learned that guzma is far more calculating than the thug he just appears to be.]

[Ah Archie. Good ol' Archie. Of course he'd notice the damage done to Masquerain, even as the little guy was hiding most of himself from view. Ever perceptive... sometimes. Guzma's about as surprised as he isn't that Archie's not saying anything to him about what he's done.

But his natural suspicion does grip him a little.]

That really all you're concerned about, hm?

[Of course Guzma wants Masquerain to get healed up too, but right now he can't afford to be careless.]

As opposed to what?

[he just tilts his head.]

Considerin' if I wanna bother puttin' my healin' powers to use if it's been hurt for a stupid reason. Not that I want to let the poor thing suffer.

Oh I dunno, everything else? You really don't give a fuck about that guy?

[And here Darin had spoken so highly of Archie! Guess Darin was all in his own head about how close he and Archie supposedly were. Guzma's not surprised.]

Sounds to me like you're gonna let him suffer 'cos you might wanna be petty, yo.

He'll bounce back. He always does. Don't need to baby him.

[this isn't exactly true to how he's feeling right now. if darin sees this later, archie just hopes he understands.]

Re-aally? You been sendin' your Pokémon out with the caveat that I'll be willin' to heal them after, huh? You're relyin' on me that much? Last I checked, I wasn't the one that hurt him.

Well, he ain't bouncing back yet. But I feel ya. Babying people ain't how they learn shit.

[Guzma smirks at the accusation.]

Nah, you're putting yourself on way too high of a pedestal, man. You're a novelty, but I ain't relying on you. I know my Pokémon can handle themselves. But, if you can heal 'em, but then back out 'cos you wanna be a petty dickhead, that's all on you.

I ain't the one being punished here, am I?

[he snorts.]

You really think I think you give a shit about me other than bein' a convenient Pokémon centre and havin' weed?

[that said, as much as archie knows he dug that hole himself, he's still-- that still gets to him. it's annoying. he can't even pretend not to care.

(about masquerain, at least. sorry, darin.)]

I reckon that decision is up to Masquerain himself, not me or you.

[It's only half-true. Besides Andy and maybe Cass, Archie's about the only friend he's got here. But he also has to play it cool, especially when it's so public right now. It's better for him if people think he doesn't have ties.]

You got me figured out, huh? Damn, and here I thought I was being sly...

[At least Guzma seems amused by Archie's deflection, and so he calls Masquerain over to him, the little bug seeming just as cheerful as every—despite the damaged wing. It makes him wobbly a bit in the air, instead of being able to stay perfectly still, like a little hovercraft.]

Yo, so Archie thinks he oughta withhold helping you out 'cos he thinks we did this for no good reason, pretty fucked, huh?

[Masquerain looks between Guzma and Archie on the comm, a little confused, before settling on looking at Archie fully. Which he then greets him with a happy trill of his own name, tilting his head to the side curiously.

Guzma seems annoyed by the reaction.]

Man, you're too forgiving...

[he stops himself smiling, if only because it would be pretty shitty in this moment. when darin is hanging just off screen.]

Well, that's decided then. You wanna tell me why this happened, now there's a buncha people out to get Darin?

[he's too far away-- and from what he's seen of lucina and allura's responses, they'll get there first.]

[Guzma turns the camera back on himself just as his free hand went to pet Masquerain's head. Can't be broadcasting himself being soft!]

Sure: the dude pissed me off.

[That's like, maybe 33% of the reason.]

Ain't that complicated.

[archie quietly switches the feed to private, then

just raises his eyebrows.

he's not buying that.]

[Guzma notices the swap, but he's also still a bit riled. Understandably.]

What are you expecting from me right here? For me to just spill my feelings at you 'cos it's just us? Tch...

[I mean, he kinda did that before, but it was after that whole thing with Lance, and they smoked a bunch of weed...]

...He crossed a line, is all. I saw an opportunity to make shit abundantly clear to the rest of these soft-hearted idiots, and I took it.

Nah, I get it. You don't know how many people actually came at me when I had Team Aqua, tryin' to appeal to my better side. None of 'em ever really got through. All of them tried the same thing over and over... they never learned.

[well, may got it, but he's not going to talk about that right now.]

Probably for the best the people here ain't trainers. Feel like it would be 'em comin' at you with a bunch of Rattata.

...That's why you're aiight, Archie. You get it.

[Unlike the other fools.]

They may as well be coming at me with 'em. It's their mistake for thinking I'm some slouch. They'll learn, or they won't. Not my problem when they get crushed so utterly.

[Like Darin...]

Ain't no-one more fuckin' annoying and persistent than those that get it into their heads they're heroes and that all the world's problems are theirs to solve.

[he is genuinely irritated about that-- it's how he saw steven stone, despite him doing fuck all. may was the real deal, but she was an outlier.]

This place is overflowin' with 'em, and I won't be surprised if it's decided that the best way you learn your lesson is via a beatdown. No-one sees the irony, it's all about who thinks they have the most justifiable excuses behind their punches.

It's to appease their own egos, but they don't see it like that.

[All he does is for his own ego too, but that doesn't mean he can't recognize when others are being just as self-absorbed.]

They ain't no different. Wanna go around acting like this is for their good cause, when it's all about them just wantin' to wail on a dude and feel good about doing it. No guilt attached when it's someone vile like me, huh?

But that's fine. I ain't criticizing 'em on wanting to beat someone down. I get it, but they're fronting a whole lot of silly garbage, just so they can feel good about doing it.

It's pathetic.

No. Once their heriocs are warped, that's it. It'll never be the same again. It'll always be about what they want at their core.

[archie was the same in team aqua-- he warped everything he was doing to fit his own purposes, made it all about what he wanted. maybe he's projecting, but at the same time no-one actually specifically comes to mind when he speaks of this, other than people from back home. he's sure there are some imports here like this, but he doesn't really... think of them.

maybe he'll reflect on that later, that he still has such strong feelings about home but doesn't really have much in the same line to care about here.]

Sure is. [a beat. he tilts his head.] They could use some fuckin' guilt. Hmm-- what was it exactly that Darin said?

Yep.

[It's about all he has to say about that, because... yeah. It's just true.

Guzma's come to accept his role in this narrative. That he's the bad guy, that he has to take the burden of what has to be done to create change, to press things forward. His hands gotta get bloody, but if it makes things move along, then it's worth it, isn't it?

It's not his place to be good, Alola mad that abundantly clear to him.

The question catches him, and his mouth flattens to a thin line as he contemplates how to answer that.]

...Idiot thought he knew me. Thought he knew a single thing about me—he talked all sorts of shit, thinking he could appeal to me with his baseless assumptions.

I wasn't gonna stand for that, wasn't gonna let him go on assuming he could control me with some stupid platitudes.

[Which is not what Archie asked for. Nothing exact about that explanation.]

[not unlike the mindset archie slipped into when he was leading team aqua. he never wanted to take over the world, or anything.]

You're gonna get a lot of that here. Either people accusin' you of being a brainless thug or thinkin' they know what's below the surface.

[Raising water levels, unleashing murderous beasts... you know, same thing.]

Yeah I can see that, yo. Don't matter, they'll pay for it. I'm a stubborn dude, and I won't be worn down.

Aye, well. We'll see how it goes, won't we?

[there's a pause, then:] If the people comin' after you hurt your team worse, let me know. I'll heal 'em. Masquerain included, of course.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

2nd 💀 Video; Backdated to 7/4

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