dumbshow | probably not depressing

[hE SAID NO, DAMN IT. But he's too busy weeping to retort just yet, so give him this time to sob a bit more. By the time Shoot gets back, he's at least got it under control where he can just keep to rubbing his eyes and isn't inhaling shaky sobs and trying to mask it.

God.

It's the question that gets all of his movements to pause.]

This girl... she doesn't love him! She doesn't love the werewolf! [Ah, he's retelling.] No matter how hard he tries, he keeps getting let down, and he's given up inside!!

Can you imagine, Shoot?! He's heartbroken!

[So... does that answer the question.]

[TAKE THE WATER AND LIKE IT, this isn't optional. Shoot is expecting a lot of things in answer to that question, but crying about werewolves isn't precisely what he had in mind.

On second thought, it makes a lot of sense. Werewolves are kind of like dogs. He doesn't say this, and never will. Just like he won't say that this time, crying over ~~dogs~~ random stuff is endearing... He'll just lean back a little and look sideways away from his water to the waterworks.]

So it's not as boring as you thought? [He has nothing to say to the riveting YA plot, ah.] That's good.

I wasn't the one who called it boring! You did!

[Shooting a glare over at that, he keeps one hand in the book and the other reaches over to snag that water. Fine. Gulping like half the glass down, he sniffs again and sets the glass down so he can rub his eyes dry.]

He loved her without knowing it, and now that he realizes... It's been three years! [STARING AT SHOOT EXPECTANTLY NOW... Isn't that sad. ISN'T IT? He's not going to ask that aloud because that's not manly or impressive, but come on, don't be heartless.]

[Maybe he did call it boring, but Knuckle thought reading was boring! They're both guilty, but only one of them is an elitist jerk. Ah. Well, anyway.

He's being stared at... It takes him a second.]

Oh. That's sad. [the least convincing delivery ever, hurk] Maybe it has a happy ending?

[Shoot is realizing presently that he's never actually talked about books to someone, and that it's Hard. Endure him.]

It sure as hell better!

[He picks the book back up, looking furiously at the page he has opened.]

But the next three chapters have depressing names, I checked! Damn it! Ethan... I'll cheer you on, even if no one else will!!

[He's really passionate about this-- ah, look, he's reading again.

So it seems he can get into books just as easily as anyone.]

[Oh, no... it's getting more endearing. Stop that. Shoot's literal mystery mystery novel has turned out to be about an overly complicated dual murder with more plot twists than is wholly necessary, leaving him with... nothing to contribute. It's not worth crying about!

He goes back to reading it anyway, and while it's stupidly complex it's not unreadable, at least until one particular plot point throws him for such a loop he comes all the way back around to react out loud before he realizes he's doing it-] What? No.

[He frowns like he's Had Enough of this book's nonsense and abruptly flips to the end, skims the final few pages, and frowns even deeper. Then he simply drops the book, gets up, and walks... out of the room.... goodbye Shoot.

This book sucks, he's aPPARENTLY DECIDED.]

Shoot?

[He's just in the middle of a really tense part of his own book, but he'll stop when Shoot starts being distracting and then just leaves the room! What the hell! Finding a good paragraph to end on, he leaves his bookmark in the book and stands to follow him, calling out again.]

HEY! Shoot! Where'd you go?

[Shoot is already down the tiny hall, and if Knuckle looks down it at the right moment he'll see Shoot, irritated!!, sticking his head out from his room. More annoyed than he reasonably should be, ah, this is part of getting to know him...]

I'm getting a better book. Go back and sit down.

[fURIOUS ABOUT BAD PLOTS]

...A better book?

[Wait a second here, he is caught off guard. He stomps over even more stubbornly, placing his palm against the door like he's going to push it open.]

You mean your weird serious book isn't as good as mine? Hah! Shows you for-- hey, wait, what d'ya mean you're going to get a better one! I thought we were reading!

[No, this is his room?? He doesn't try to get rid of him, at least, as he's too busy nerdraging away from the door, presumably over a bookshelf small enough to fit in these little rooms.

Also, shut up, he's somewhat bitter now that he paid for that stupid book. He does look over at Knuckle with less nerdrage and more confusion, after a moment.]

What do you mean? We are. [that's what he's... Knuckle??] I'm going to read something different.

[Well, good thing he's not being stopped, since he's just shoving in and standing there with his arms crossed OVERLY SERIOUS. He looks like he's just been offended in some way, and he's trying to loom over Shoot as if he's not a tiny dorito.

Are you telling me you're giving up on that other book? You didn't read it all the way through! I could tell from the way you flipped the pages! [What the fuck] How can you judge it fairly if you haven't read it through from cover to cover?! Shoot!

[Shoot only wanted to get a different book. He is giving up on that other book, and he doesn't think that's - morally reprehensible or anything like that!

why was he paying such close attention to the page turning]

I've read enough. I'm not interested in wasting time with the rest for the sake of some arbitrary measure of fairness.

[go do some math or something, god]

[BECAUSE THIS IS A CONTEST!!!]

What the hell, Shoot! You're putting down the author's hard work before you've read all of his words!?

[Or her.] That's cruel! You're cruel!

[WHAT...]

He [or she] already has my money. [Flatly... no, he doesn't believe in this arbitrary fairness crap at all. A beat.]

You put down the movie I wanted to watch without seeing any of it.

That's different!

[With one hand on his hip, the other points out like he's coming straight out of ace attorney.] We were trying to decide what to watch! I didn't pick it up and give up most of the way through!

[How the hell is he going to decide who wins their competition if Shoot picks up a new book?!]

More importantly... What happens if I finish mine and you're still reading?

[It's not different... Shoot gives him a look, wishing he would make up his mind about whether this is about his dumb reading contest or the author's feelings, already.]

You have another book to read. Why, what were you planning on doing?

[Leaving aside that there was no chance at all of them ever finishing these books at the same time. He'll skip that.]

I can't finish two in one day! Are you insane?!

[That's not what was being implied, and yet, that's what he expects. He's not going to sleep until it's finished! He's decided! And so Shoot should follow suit, so he can properly compete! Oh, and so that author doesn't have his work insulted...

He squints at Shoot's little bookshelf, stepping over to it.]

Haven't you read all these, anyway?

[Another mostly flat look; he could finish two books in a day... if he read through meals and did nothing else. He probably has before, honestly.

But ah, his precious little bookshelf, invaded. Don't look at it and judge him.]

I have. I could read them again - that's allowed.

[There's some vague, noncommittal grumbling as Knuckle waves off Shoot. His competition has already been crushed. He's won, technically, but what kind of victory is this? This is lame. And now Shoot's going to get stuck in another book for hours after he's already finished his and then what is he supposed to do?!

He made that promise to himself not to train yet!

Damn, this was tough.]

Fine, whatever! I'll be back out there, so hurry up. I'm leaving you behind! [Without saying what he even means by that, he heads back to his couch and his horrible werewolf romance novel.]

[Why is Knuckle so upset... Shoot doesn't get this, and he can't even feel bad despite not getting it because it's so dumb. It's just reading. So, he'll loiter for an extra minute to give Knuckle time to calm himself down (Shoot wants to believe), before he comes back out of the room with a new-old book.

He pauses when he enters the room and just looks at Knuckle from there. Spending this much time with him isn't what he expected... after drinks he thought it would be back to the status quo, but this is - this is nice, albeit occasionally in a confusing way. He actually likes this, and not in the somewhat terrified way he usually "likes" (endures) being around people. Hmm.

After a beat he realizes he's just standing there staring and quickly diverts his gaze somewhere else, shuffling back over to sit and crack open this new book. Perfectly normal, not staring, not too deeply about Knuckle or being around Knuckle, nope...]

[Knuckle is so deep in his book by the time Shoot comes back that he nearly doesn't notice all the staring. At the tail end of things, it sets in, and his eyes slide up slowly just as Shoot is moving to sit back down. What... What was that all about?? Was he just staring at him after entering the room? What for?!

This bothers him more than he thinks it should, and an array of other thoughts come to mind next. They're just reading here, huh... Maybe if he finishes his book he'll take a shower. Is that weird? Sitting around waiting with Shoot until he can train again? Trying to get to know him better?

He cares about him so suddenly it's jarring.

He was going to ask about the staring, but now his nose is literally shoved into his book to avoid saying anything. Besides, it's at a turning point where things are looking better for the werewolf.]

[It bears repeating that Shoot has read this other book before. It's one he likes well enough - the characters are interesting and the plot takes a very different turn when certain reveals are made - but he's read it before and so already knows what's coming. His eyes gloss over the pages with only half-there attention, as a result, and his mind wanders.

... Knuckle sure is getting into that book, huh. Shoot wonders why it took so long to do this, just spend time with each other without Morel or training or a mission being the reason behind it. It occurs to him about as swiftly that his own inability to let people get to know him is probably why, and now he's not sure if he should feel guilty about that or pleased that he's - sort of - past that. Well, there goes that train of thought... He focuses on the book again, purposefully.

It's somewhere between chapter one, where the two main characters are stuck working together despite never agreeing on anything, and remembering chapter ten, where they get along intimately well that Shoot decides no, he can't read this book again with someone else in the room. That's not going to happen.

He will stare distractedly at the powered off TV, instead.]

What's the matter?

[At some point in his reading, Knuckle notices Shoot's eyes wandering. How could he not? The page flips aren't at the same speed. His race is ruined, but habit makes him notice by now-- he wasn't reading?]

Is that book bad, too?

[stop counting his page flips, freak

Shoot tenses, looking down at the book again instead of over at Knuckle. No, he's done enough of that already...]

No— It's fine. [He can't read this with Knuckle here, he'll know or just take the book from him and find out directly, and that will be the end of him-!! He should have chosen a novel where no one has any feelings, damn it.

He tries to look calm and... mostly succeeds. For his usual nervous face, anyway.] You've been making a bigger deal out of this than you have to this whole time.

[dweeb...] How's the werewolf doing now?

What're you trying to say?

[He sounds offended at that bigger deal comment, scowling a bit as he waves his book in Shoot's general direction. He does this a lot-- waves it around with his thumb keeping place. One day he's going to throw it on accident or something.]

I'm not the one who threw a tantrum over my book being bad! [He's just the one who cried over romance in it, shut up though.] He hooked up with the girl, and that asshole from before got what was coming to him!! It's about damn time.

im lEAVING

you started it

I DIDNT ASK FOR THIS

i think you did

shoves you over

goodbye

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