Burdened with Glorious Cleffa [Kris and Archer]
During Archer’s little Cleffa dilemma, Kris was laying on the grass in her backyard. Her new, baby Vulpix was accompanying her, taking a nap on her stomach in the warm, summer sun. These past few days — since her interaction with Silver — Kris had been a little less than her usual peppy self. It didn’t go very well and left her very unsettled. She needed a distraction and, as much as she already loved the new addition to her Pokemon team, Vulpix reminded her of that very confrontation.
Absentmindedly, she scratched the back of her Pokemon’s neck as she gazed up at the clouds. Letting her thoughts wander, Kris’ mind brought her to Archer. She wondered how he was fairing with his Cleffa and almost laughed aloud at the thought of him raising it. She wasn’t too sure why she gave him the feetie-adorned Cleffa in the first place, but something told her to just go for it. Maybe she was interested in seeing Archer with a Pokemon like that. Maybe she was testing him. Whatever it was, it was all really very cute in her head.
Her thoughts then traveled to whether he took her seriously or not when she proclaimed her efforts were an attempt to woo him. He probably didn’t. Not many people would. Hell, no one would. Who even says woo these days? Kris scrunched her nose. It wasn’t like he’d return any feelings anyway, if she wanted to think realistically. Maybe that Cleffa was just a reason for her to spend time with him, if Archer even took her up on the offer to help raise it.
Suddenly, Kris’ cellphone began ringing in the pocket of her labcoat. She sat up, careful not to wake Vulpix, and maneuvered it into her hand. When she glanced down at the Caller ID, she gasped, her eyes widening. Man, that was always so creepy. You know, when you think of or mention someone and they show up somehow. Her heart skipped a few beats and she smiled, picking up to answer.
Before she could say anything, however, Archer beat her to a greeting.
“I want you to take it back.”
Kris laughed heartily, half expecting him to come to that decision. She decided to twist those words around, though he’d probably just wind up hanging up on her. It was nice to hear from him, even if for a few seconds.
“You want me, huh?” she replied, voice sultry. “I knew you’d come around.”
Archer was not usually one to rush. He couldn't remember the last time he ran anywhere, and he tended to always let others speak first. He'd found that this was nearly always a good idea, especially in a confrontation-- it was much easier to undercut someone's argument if they'd already made it. As for moving fast, an awkward adolescence spent tripping over nearly everything had taught him that it was better for his actions to be slow and controlled. Rushing had never done him any good.
Even so, desperate times call for desperate measures. And if speaking over Kris on the phone was the most rushed he got, he supposed it could be much worse. What was she going to say before him that was so important, anyway? Hello? It wasn't as though either one of them was one for smalltalk, and besides, he was in no mood. The offending Cleffa sat on his desk, holding a pen between its small hands (paws?) and looking at him curiously. Adorable. It had to go.
“You want me, huh? I knew you’d come around.”
He grit his teeth at her reply, the hand holding the phone tightening so that he could hear the plastic creak. In the grand scheme of things, this entire incident-- Cleffa and all-- should have been only a minor irritation. It was nowhere near as frustrating as the majority of his colleagues, or the mundane chores he was tasked with day to day. But that tiny pink marshmallow of a Pokemon set him on edge. (Or rather, set him further on edge. He'd already been near it.) Worrying about it was enough, but more than that he didn't like the fact that he worried at all. He should never have grown so attached to something so vulnerable. Of course, now that he realized his mistake, it was too late to undo it. He couldn't very well release it, which would be practically the same as killing it himself. He didn't have many options.
"No," he snapped, voice harsh and clipped. "You know exactly what I mean. The Pokemon you gave me? I'm returning it to you." The Cleffa (which was, as yet, unnamed) blinked at him with wide eyes, obviously not comprehending what he was saying. Archer wasn't sure how it (he? she?) would have responded had it understood him. Would it have been relieved? Overjoyed, even? Maybe it had gotten used to him, and would have been upset. That last seemed unlikely. It wasn't as though he'd been much fun. He'd spent most of his time with it utterly bewildered.
"Come pick it up as soon as possible. I'm sure it'll be glad to see you."
