[video]

[magmamia]

[the video starts in a kitchen at some sort of restaurant, at the floor until this angel maxie here slaps the communicator on a counter. he looks like he usually does only in an apron. he is not pleased.

behind him a big fluffy camel thing with volcano back is kind of lounging lazily around. someone should probably explain pokemon don't belong in the kitchen!! maxie!!

he takes a deep breath before speaking, testily.] I'm on this network to inquire what 'yakitori house' is. Or are. And why they require.... 'hotties.'

[a sign in the background proclaims this HOTTIES WITH STICKS YAKITORI HOUSE.

maxie sighs, leaning back on what is obviously a hot stove. his palm makes full contact and he doesn't blink, just leaves it there. the camerupt sort of lifts it's head as it notices this and maxie apparently doesn't.]

Cooking I understand, it's formulaic. A challenge I, Maxie, will rise to, if need be. When in Johto- [the camerupt makes a mildly distressed sound and maxie turns to it, brow raised.] What is it? I know very well you're not hungry, don't try that on me.

[camerupt makes more sounds please save it's trainer from himself dear god.]

Comments

[h2no]

Aw, c'mon. You know how it is for those types... like Muk! It ain't their fault they don't fit some bullshit standard humans set out.

[they're beautiful and he loves them, thank you VERY MUCH.]

Ehhh... she was. She's gone back the way she came... shame she missed you. We didn't get to properly talk about the, uh. Thing.

[there it is again!! vague, because even if he doesn't know maxie woke up groudon, he doesn't like talking about it to people who know.]

Never mind. [haha no tact maxie] It's just-- [he runs a hand over his head, pulling off his bandana. ohhhh jeez look at how bad that grey is, huh.] Nothing. Never mind. How're your guys doin'? Courtney and... Terry??

[magmamia]

I don't disagree, I've always found Weezing to be exceptionally personable and yet he's largely regarded as 'gross' and 'unhygienic.' [he sounds so fucking offended he loved weezing and muk, sue him] Narrowminded nonsense, of course.

Ah, so she's returned. [he sort of spaces out a moment, frowning to himself before sighing.] Yes, the... Thing. Did she... talk to you about it, much? While she was here.

[hahaha these. dopes.]

Tabitha. [How Dare.] It- goodness, you're more grey than I realized. You aren't that old, what have you been doing? [... anyway.] And don't 'nevermind,' I wish to help. I'll admit, relationship advice isn't my expertise but I can be a third party observer at the very least. Refusing to address the problem will do no one any good.

[h2no]

I got a place out from the city a couple days ago. We could let 'em out without worrying about people's stupid sensibilities being offended.

[tbh 50% of the reason he got the place was for muk.]

Shut up, no I'm not. Shut up. An'... not really? I said sorry the first time I saw her but... I dunno if she was avoidin' me or not. [he trails off, clearly upset about it.] Never mind about it, Max. We'll sort it out.

[magmamia]

Clever, that would do them all some good. Mightyena has never done well being confined either. [archie, smart??? wow] Weezing will be pleased to see Muk.

[all their pokemon were friends basically and maxie still pretended he hated him.]

You're ancient. You're practically leather with a beard. [friendship] Why would you say- well, she would be a fool not to forgive you. [l.m.f.a.o. anyway he frowns] ... Archie, honestly, you're worrying me. You seem weighed down in a way I've never seen with you before. Did something happen here?

[h2no]

Nice big fields for him to run around in and for Crobat to hunt rodents for snacks. Good, huh?

[archie just 100% put his pokémon before his own needs, though as long as there's a bed and a roof he's happy.

but... why is maxie asking what's weighing on him? surely even someone as socially dumb as maxie gets why he's down? archie had been of the opinion that maxie had come from after the bullshit like himself, seeing as there was no big speech and death threats.]

Well, yeah, but like... back home? [he swallows.] A-all that stuff?

[magmamia]

Ideal. Well done, even I'll admit you've made intelligent choices here. [like he doesn't know archie's smart. idiot.

well maxie just looked confused too now. he certainly understood what archie was getting at but what about it did archie have weighing him? archie helped save the world, not end it.

did something else happen, further than maxie's time? he shifts uncomfortably.] I... do you mean with Groudon? Aside from nearly making the same mistake you're hardly the one in the wrong, Archie. Did something else happen?

1/somethin here we go

[h2no]

What do you mean same mi--

[h2no]

[h2no]

Grou-- Groudon?!

[h2no]

[high pitched:] GROUDON?!!?

okyy done

[h2no]

[archie puts his hands on his face, stumbling back and falling onto the couch with a WHUMP, bouncing slightly from the force.]

Fuck. Fuck! Fucking shit!

10/10 art also 1/2

[magmamia]

[maxie kind of just watches this show in shock, camerupt even lifting it's head with a confused little 'rupt?' as archie did his thing.

for a minute maxie's face is that loading spiral as he processes this reaction. of course this reaction can only mean... one... thing....]

Archie, I- [oh dear god. god archie didn't know and maxie would have to tell him and archie would rightfully shun him (even though he didn't before, shut up logic??) and just

bam

[magmamia]

just he really didn't want to relive all this again but he probably deserved to relive it every damn day.

have a very, very tired looking old man.]

Yes... I thought you were from my time, I- I apologize. It was a silly assumption. I should have realized you could be- that you may be from before and didn't know-

[he's Dying] If you'd rather I leave I would understand. [IT'S YOUR HOUSE]

Re: bam

[h2no]

[archie groans into his hands for a moment, like if he groans hard enough this reality won't be happening. he forces himself to face it, though, getting up and padding over to maxie, pulling him into another tight hug. this is something he'd given vague thought, to be honest - before he'd even been ported in he'd thought about an alternate reality the meteor could've hit - how there could be a world where maxie awoke groudon instead.

not to mention what niko told him. the reality where they were both awakened? god, team aqua and team magma have a deeper history across realities than archie is comfortable with.]

It's not that... [he sighs, burying his face in maxie's stupid fluffy second of hair that presumably isn't soaked in hair gel.] ...You never woke up Groudon where I came from. It was Kyogre that wrecked havoc across Hoenn.

[he doesn't feel like he needs to say why kyogre was awake.]

[magmamia]

[maxie was continuously and thoroughly not expecting things to go the way they were. clearly the logical next step was for archie to storm off, demand details maybe, yell at worse. all things he rightfully deserved, but instead archie hugged him so sincerely he was struck speechless for several moments, trying to figure out why. this was certainly not information that made people want to hug him.

he can't bring himself to hug back at first, guilty then distracted by what archie had to say. he tenses to tightly he feels like a muscle might snap and oh. oh]

Archie... [he manages, pretty rightfully knocked flat by this information. he can almost feel his brain going into overtime to process it but he goes with a gut reaction first, which is to hug archie back. he knows better but he still has to ask] You... made my mistake? You woke him up?

[he knows, he really does, he just... wants to believe it wasn't like that.] This is... I- I see. Why you're so... so tired, and Matt- [he breaths out. remembers courtney] Archie, I'm so very sorry.

[h2no]

[he squeezes one last time, then draws back, knowing that maxie isn't too big on contact.]

You'd know somethin' about being tired, huh? Mister replacing my bed with a desk is a sane and normal thing to do. [he says with a snort, bapping maxie lightly on the shoulder.] Ain't we a pair of silly old fools?

[he pads back to the sofa, flopping onto it again. mightyena nyooms out from another room and jumps up next to him - as if on cue - and licks all over his face.]

So where-- that was in my mouth! -- where do we go from here?

[magmamia]

It's perfectly sane, it's multifunctional. [maxie protests, why did archie and tabitha and courtney and his grunts keep acting like it was a bad idea??? fools. he'd be more annoyed if he didn't feel like they were both going through the emotional wringer right now.] Perhaps we are. Who would have thought we'd end up here?

[he settles, lips quirking slightly as archie's mightyena went for the kill. his own mightyena ran after, jumping straight into maxie's lap and boofing. maxie oofed but began petting him with a sigh.]

I don't even know where to start, Archie. I... you don't deserve this. [he rubs his forehead as mightyena's nose chased his hand for pets] Yes, yes, I'll give you attention. You're spoiled. [yet he keeps petting mightyena before glancing to archie] How long has it been for you since... it happened?

[h2no]

No it's not, dumbass.

[its half hearted; he sighs but grins a little at the mightyenas being there for them.]

Neither do you, y'know. [he blinks, then chews his lip.] ...seven months. S-so I can guess what kinda shit you're gonna pull comin' off it fresh and I ain't havin' it!

[magmamia]

Do you want a list of all your quote unquote 'sane' choices? [hallllllf hearted too these sad sad old men]

[he huffs, but it's hard to say yes i do when archie, you know, was in the same position. it still felt different, somehow. archie was so... archie. a fool, fine, but a well meaning one. maxie still wasn't sure about himself after this.

he digs his hands into mightyena's fur farther, closing his eyes.] Yes, it's... recent, to say the least. Zinnia- did she attack you as well?

Seven months. [he kind of just stares ahead for a moment, shifting uncomfortably.] You know I've never been... well, good, at this. This... heart to heart, emotional nonsense. I mean, not nonsense. This emotional discussion. [he's already doing terribly] Does it... goodness, I can't think of a way to say this without it sounding positively pathetic. Does it get better? After that time? Not that I haven't been dealing with it well, of course I have just- just curious. For you.

[fool.]

[h2no]

[he grunts; acquiesces.]

Did she attack me? Maxie. My pal. My best friend. My frenemy. My decades old ploromantic partner. My guy. My dude. She kicked me in the berries so hard I couldn't stand for a day.

[that's a yes. then he looks away, focusing on his own mightyena for a moment. just two sad guys pettin' their dogs.]

No. Yes? I mean, I've gone from hourly breakdowns to, like, daily. So that's something.

[his tone might suggest he's joking, but he's not.]

...It's easier if you don't try to hide your emotions about it, you know. I'm here with you, and I know how it is. If you wanna cry or scream or throw things around... then you should do it, instead of repressing it.

[magmamia]

What on earth does 'ploromantic' even mean? You just made that up, didn't you? [always focusing on the important details. he shakes his head.] Then... no, you aren't going to tell me Matt tried something, did he? Courtney... she was quite distraught, made some foolish choices due to my misguidance.

[the picture is coming together and it suckssssssss.

well that's an answer. he regards archie with concern, because he is concerned damn it.]

You look tired, have you been sleeping. [awkward, telling pause] ... Nightmares?

[and a huff] I don't repress. [l.m.f.a.o.] Much. Fine, I'll... take what you have to say under consideration. I've simply been... I've been trying to focus on doing all I can to repent. Work and the like. You were there, of course, helping.

[h2no]

Yeah, he... same reasons. I didn't talk to him and Shelly so good after it all so he...

[he trails off. maxie should know what happened.]

Yeah, but I get enough. [he doesn't.] It's fine. [it's not.] An' you were there with me... you wanna come stay at my place while we figure this out?