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[archie completely ignores all this-- acting like it's going over his head. it's not.

this is shown in the slightly awkward grin he gives nanu, clearly... fearing the wrath of god. or an angry, tired old man. he holds the arm with the cat attached to it out.]

Want it?

[Good....fear is good. If circumstances were not what they are, he would be reveling in it.]

[His eyes narrow, the uncomfortable, unblinking glare unnaturally steady.]

The thing jumped on you...and you want to pawn it off on me.

[archie should definitely be more concerned about the shit he's just got himself into.

he's not.]

You have a Persian? [he says like this makes any fucking sense at all.] And an Absol...

[Nanu just stares at him blankly, like he's expecting Archie to elaborate? on that?? at all maybe??]

[archie it is four a.m. in the fucking morning]

Is that supposed to win me over?

No.

[at least he's... honest?]

Just-- take it. Or I will feed it to Crobat.

[he won't.]

No you won't.

[Punctuated by a hearty growl from Persian. Who shares another look with Crobat.]

The hell is wrong with you tonight?

[he's expressing frustration and loneliness weirdly?]

I got attacked by a demon for no reason! Look, I'm sorry for wakin' ya up, but this thing really didn't want to leave me alone.

[the cat looks back at archie and YOWLS.]

See!

[A DEMON]

[Yeah he's not buying "for no reason" even if it may be true? Also he's intent on making Archie suffer and draw this out for as long as possible.]

Well what did you do to it?

Got too close. Like a Vigoroth goin' nuts on me for no reason! Maybe I breathed wrong...

[the cat hisses at him.]

Fuck off, Scrungus!

You do know what "territorial" means, don't you? How do you even know it's a stray? I'm not gon— Scrungus?

Since when are things this stupid territorial--

[...]

What? It said it! [the cat miaws. it sounds more like mingus than scrungus. the cat might need a vet.]

[You know, just like lots of pokémon, Archie??]

[Nanu exasperatedly squints at the cat.]

[For like, a full fifteen seconds.]

You also know the animals here don't say their own names? [maybe it's calling you mingus] ...You could've hurt it when it collided with you, though.

[that's different pokémon are smart and these aren't!!]

I got nothin' else for it.

[... [softly in the background: mingus]]

Why is it my fault! This stupid thing is the one that ruined my night! And yours, by extension!

It's just a cat.

[Just call it a cat? It will never be Scrungus, Archie. Nor Mingus.] [Nor Chungo.]

No, you ruined our night [Persian grumbles] because a pokémon rights "activist" apparently doesn't know how to handle an animal in distress.

[yeah there was sarcasm all over that]

Don't call me that, [he snaps irritably, almost uncharacteristically. the sarcasm is there, sure, but that's what archie genuinely thought he was for a long time. he should probably just take the teasing, arceus knows he deserves it, but the closest he gets to doing so is not following up.] I don't want to fuck up again, because I'm pretty good at that, if ya hadn't realised.

[he's perfectly willing to ruin a human person's night, but not dealing with the cat right? unheard of.]

[Well, it hit Archie in the way he intended it to. Nanu would probably care more, if this situation were different. Such as during the daytime, or perhaps not about an angry cat screaming mingus attached to Archie's face at four in the morning. He can't really blame the cat for that.]

You really don't know how to handle this? [pinches the bridge of his nose and waves his other in an irritated motion that reads just do it hand him over] You know what? I should be glad you didn't kick down the door of our house and start yelling.

[maybe one day he'll realise that...]

Came close to it, [he says with a little laugh.] Alright. Take it. Come on, I wanna get home.

[Nanu pauses to give him a look that says Don't. Don't you dare Ever.]

[He holds his arms out for the cat, although he doesn't grab it right off of Archie. First he sees if the cat is receptive to or interested in him at all.]

Oh, no. You're not clear of this yet. Not until I make sure this thing isn't actually hurt.

[the cat is interested in nanu, and fortunately doesn't actually seem like it's hurt at all. just a little riled up. archie isn't that bad. it continues making that awful noise as it slowly pulls its claws out of archie's flesh (with him swearing slightly at it) and decides to latch onto nanu instead.

scrungus gonna scrungo.]

[...Still, Nanu gently looks the cat over, undeterred by its claws or growls. He doesn't find it as bad as one of his Meowth latching onto him, or the screeching they're fond of making.]

[The cat does, indeed, seem healthy (or at least unharmed from crashing into Archie's rock-hard head), and he shifts to cradle it in one arm while his other hand points at the rockhead.]

Where did you run into it? You're sure it's not someone's pet you ran off with?

[archie watches this display, the anxiety nanu's silence is causing him literally almost palpable, thanks to the crystal. he wrings his hands for a moment, then drops them to his sides, then awkwardly rubs his elbow. he is squirming and hates that nanu is probably enjoying it.]

Couple strees down. It jumped out a dumpster, so I doubt it. [...] An' if it is... then who cares? They clearly ain't a good pet owner if it was in that situation.

[he just gives the other man a Look that says you don't know felines at all do you]

[Nanu pretends to look over the cat one more time just to make Archie continue to squirm a little longer. Finally, he tucks the cat under his arm and gives the pirate a very long unblinking stare.]

You owe me.

[his mood seems to brighten exponentially when the cat is removed and-- okay, no, he doesn't know felines at all. crobat is the closest thing he has to a cat. which-- the bat in question is still chattering away with persian, likely completely dragging archie and ruining any good standing he had with the panther, any that remained after this... whatever this is.]

That's fair. Gimme a call when ya wanna cash it in.

[he's fairly certain that nanu wouldn't trust him with anything important. not that he-- look, he doesn't want to be known as the guy who's untrustworthy and stupid, but... arceus , nanu's going to make him pick up some shopping or something for him, right? fuck. he should've just let the cat destroy him.]

[Crobat's grumblings are met with Persian's own complaints, ripping on Archie right in front of him. She's certainly not going to be happy to see him next time they meet; this level of petty contempt can only be lowered with bribery and praise. Which...isn't too different from how she normally operates?]

[Whatever he'd want Archie to do isn't apparent. But it probably won't be shopping.]

[That wouldn't be payback enough.]

I will.

[He hefts the cat up with both hands and takes a couple steps backwards without breaking eye contact with Archie, before turning around on one foot and starting his trudge back home. Persian hangs back to finish the searing gossip she and Crobat were in the middle of before giving Archie a spine-tingling glare and trotting back to Nanu's side.]

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