dumbshow | probably not depressing

[Absolutely none of that helps. Mentioning Morel might even make it several times worse, as Shoot can just picture him smirking so knowingly at this- this! What is this?

He opens his mouth to say something, reconsiders, closes it again. Then he turns slightly away, looking at nothing in particular in some spot on the floor again, thinking.

Maybe if he just... waits for Knuckle to fall asleep, then flees- Ahh, will that work? Is he tired and sore all over enough to just do this and pretend not to panic?

An especially nasty twinge of his headache convinces him - when he looks back around to Knuckle, he looks absolutely grim. No offense...]

Fine. [He'll even- shuffle a little in the right direction. He is in misery.] I'm only doing this so you'll stop running around sick.

[Now he doesn't even care about sleeping. He just cares that he's going to one up Shoot. Heading over faster than Shoot, he sits back down, and this time he kicks his feet up to lay there too. He's all the way on one side so that there's room for Shoot, too!

But the longer he lays there and waits, smugly, the longer he gets to think about all of this. The slower Shoot is, the more he frowns, and eventually, he peers over at him quizzically.]

Seriously, what's the big problem? I'm not gonna bite!

[WHy... does he offend... He's suddenly hurt now.]

[Don't- interrupt his slow progress! Shoot falters, boggling down at Knuckle on the bed - he was in the middle of talking himself up to going through with this, and Knuckle just has to keep making comments. Ugh.]

That's not, I mean... [don't look at him like that] Shut up.

[Ah, wait- damn it, what is he trying to accomplish. He sighs mostly at himself and crosses the rest of the way in a couple quick strides, sits down- even gets his legs onto the bed, although he doesn't actually lie down.

He also does all of this with his eyes closed, shut up.]

[He just stares even more at that, honestly. Why... Why is he acting more scared than during the whole start of that horror movie?! He's so hesitant, cut it out! He was enjoying it a moment ago, but that was before he realized the implications!]

Come on... [He nudges Shoot with his hand.] Don't you want to lie down, too? Your head's gotta be killing you.

[Shoot sighs, the long-suffering sigh of someone who has since learned that wanting to do something and mustering up the emotional capacity required to do that thing are not the same. He's not trying to be like this, he's just- anxious and miserable. Often.]

It is... [A lot, in fact. Yet again, this is what gets him to move and lie down, although he's still pretty tense.

Gotta look somewhere else, anywhere but right at Knuckle-]

... What did you do to your chair?

.....

[Those dots are him making vague mumbling noises under his breath like he doesn't want to remember the Chair Incident. But eventually, he recalls that he's been trying to get to know Shoot better, and so he'll answer.]

I got tired of work, so I started practicing a move [that he saw on tv] and it broke. Just the leg! [Which is important??? For a chair??? Knuckle.]>/small>

[Shoot keeps looking over at the poor abused chair until Knuckle starts to explain; by then he thinks he can turn his head and look at his face without breaking out in a cold sweat, which is progress.

He broke it trying to train in his tiny bedroom... Shoot looks at him in mild disbelief, before quickly turning his head the other way again so the fact that he's surprisingly close to laughing is less obvious. Knuckle...]

So it was a good move? [Shoot is a great friend.] You should replace it.

It was a great move!

[HELL YEAH... He says this defensively even with Shoot's commentary, because really, he broke his chair. He knows how this looks. He knows what this says. Shut the hell up, don't say anything, you better keep being a good friend like that!]

I keep meaning to, but things've been kinda hectic lately... [Like, he's been at the hospital with Shoot 24/7.]

[That this was fairly recent makes it only slightly less ridiculous, Shoot thinks. And he frowns at the chair a little now, because ah, yes... "hectic." He thinks of everything that happened before he was hospitalized, at first, which naturally isn't a great memory.

But they are here, talking about chairs, so it all turned out okay in the end- right? Er.]

Maybe if your other errands didn't take so long... ["maybe if you didn't pet every dog in the city"]

I only do errands sometimes! Got it?!

[shUT THE HELL UP. Don't remind him of the puppy incident of yesterday. ...Or any of the puppy incidents. Maybe it's more than sometimes. He fumes for a bit, shuffling in place to get more comfortable and probably bouncing the bed all over with it.]

'Sides, it has to be a good chair that won't break so damn easily. [Easily, he says, like it wasn't his fault.] It's gonna take time!

[There are puppy incidents twice a week and he's even present for a good chunk of them, please... In any case, he's momentarily distracted by being jostled - he starts to say 'Knuckle, stop it' and gives up too soon, so it's more like 'nuh'.

Both of them, graceful as the day is long. At least Shoot's looking at him again instead of at his furniture.]

It's just a chair. Borrow mine if you really need one.

I don't need it...

[He can stand! Or crouch! Or sit on the floor. He's been trying all of these things, lately. If Shoot were home he'd have been able to hear all the frustrated noises and yelling from alone in his room.]

I can still kinda use that one! [no. it's mangled...] Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'll keep putting it off until I feel like it. Don't you ever do that?

[He can imagine that, which makes him a little glad he only saw Knuckle when he came to ~~cry~~ visit recently.

Don't use the chair. This variety of Shoot's grim looks is the one that says that chair is missing a leg, don't sit on it, please. In answer to the question he says, automatically,] No.

[But, ah... well. Is hiding for a month necessarily the same thing, he wonders. He looks- at the ceiling?? The ceiling won't judge him.] Not on purpose...

Doesn't that just mean you have, after all?

[He's onto you, Shoot. It's the same thing IT'S THE SAME THING. He laughs, reaching over to lightly knock his hand against Shoot's chest.]

How long did it take you to fight that kid? [Eh? Ehh?]

[No!! No, it's not! He makes a face, lightly swatting Knuckle's hand away. It didn't take that long - eventually, when he got around to it. Ah.

Not the same thing.]

How long did it take you to win? [huh??] You're still too soft.

I won right away, asshole! [So what if he spent the rest of their available time training him, shut up!!] It helped out in the end, didn't it!?

Besides, don't give me that! They grew on you, too! Don't think I didn't notice!!

[Actually, he can't tell. He's just hoping.]

[That doesn't count and he knows it.] Mm, you're a great help to children and animals.

[This he says to cover up being momentarily mortified, suddenly wondering if anyone actually saw his... weird epiphany... Did Knuckle actually notice?]

I won't deny that they're capable, but still...

Hey, what are you trying to say?! I help way more than that!

[He sits up in this part of his yelling, but he regrets it shortly after when he's reminded of the heavy pounding in his head by the way everything seems to sway. God damn it.

And he's still not sure what that means!! Did Shoot like them or not, why was he so weird...]

But still what? They're good kids!

[He's trying to say Knuckle is a big softy who needs to stop, but he'll give up on that to sigh at him and reach over to sort of flop a hand against his chest. Lie back down, he's still wary of the inevitable getting sick...]

I'm not saying they aren't! You're the one who started talking about them.

[... ffffine] I don't mind them.

Only 'cause you were trying to be cool.

[Acting like he didn't put off fighting for a month, please!! He nearly swats the hand away until that last comment, which has him grinning and laughing like it's something hilarious.]

So I was right! I knew it! [YEAH he guessed correctly! Okay, okay, he'll lay back down, rocking the bed as he goes again since he can't seem to sit still at all ever.

He doesn't wanna sleep.]

[Trying and failing to be cool, ah. He pulls back his hand to put his arm over his eyes; whether out of shame or headache discomfort is anyone's guess. Both.]

Okay, you win. I underestimated you.

[Go to sleep.]

You did!

[Ah, look at him, so proud of himself. Rather than sleep, though, he reaches over with a hand to nudge at Shoot again.]

Hey, Shoot. Last night wasn't so bad, was it?

[What if Shoot just went to sleep right now, instead of answering? He doesn't lift his arm from covering his face, honestly thinking about it... Maybe if he pretends to be asleep-]

It... [He remembers all the parts he'd rather forget, ironically and abruptly, and that almost colors his response until the less horrible memories trickle in. Well, he certainly isn't hoping for a repeat anytime soon, but okay.] ... I had fun.

[He says miserably, with a miserable expression.]

[That's the answer he was hoping for, and yet, it's one he wasn't expecting. Especially with that face... Is he supposed to believe that?!!?]

Really? [It's pretty lame to sound startled after asking it himself, but... Really.

He pauses, facing the ceiling again and closing his eyes. He even crosses his arms over his chest as if they're not lying in bed together pretending they're not.]

Hey, you better not be lying, y'hear me? [Just to be clear.] But for the record, I had fun, too.

[Shoot winces; okay, so he isn't that good at sounding convincing... But he means it! Really, it was—fun. He remembers things that were fun, at the very least.]

I'm not lying. It was fun.

[But while they're on the subject...] Next time, let's not play that game.

[Yet another pause, and he moves his arm just slightly enough to peer one-eyed at Knuckle. Ah, did he say something weird...] If- if you want to do it again, that is.

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