[Archer stares at Kimblee in disbelief. Did he really just say that?]
You need to learn to pay attention. If I believed that everything was about me do you think I would bother with half the shit I do for you? I have been working myself ragged to make sure this next attack will go off without a hitch. Why? I certainly don't need to attack anyone. I would be perfectly fine waiting until the right moment to strike the Executives and never bothering with any other minor attacks. I have more than enough to earn another promotion. There is literally no reason for me to bother attacking anyone else.
But I'm doing all this for you. You want to be entertained, you want to fight, and you want to be allowed to be as reckless as you desire. Fine. I don't like it, but I can set things up for you and make sure that things will go well. I have been doing everything in my power to make sure that this will go smoothly and that my Pokémon can handle the stress of controlling a Gym Leader so you won't have to deal with it. You told me how badly that bothered you and I've listened. I told you that you won't have to go through that again, but that is a crucial part of this plan. I've been working to make sure that my Pokémon can handle that part alone.
That's not the extent of it and you know that. If I didn't care about you, do you really think I would try so hard to please you? To make sure that you're at least content? I can't make you happy, Kimblee. I've accepted that. I do what I can for you. And yet you turn around and claim that I'm selfish when I explain why I do the things that I do? Do you think I like being this way? Do you think I enjoy driving everyone away? Do you think I want to fight with you about this?
And you have the audacity to claim that I only think about myself.
[He folds his hands and leans his chin against them, but it doesn't do much to hide just how badly he's shaking.]
I'm not telling you to tolerate the way I treat you. You want me to work on changing, fine. I've already told you that I've done everything I can think of to change, but fine. I'll try again just for you. All I'm asking is that you give me space when I ask for it. That's it. But no, that's apparently asking for too damn much, isn't it?
You don't know when to back off. I thought it was just you being particularly bullheaded, but now I genuinely think that you don't understand. I need time to work through things on my own. I never wanted to tell you about Kimbley and what happened in my version of Amestris. Was it the right choice? Probably not. Would I have told you eventually? Yes. But no, you backed me into a corner and forced answers out of me; you have forced me into talking numerous times about things I didn't want to discuss. I chose to engage you in this argument, but this is one of the few times that I have actively had a choice in the matter.
Yes, I shriek at you and say things I never should say when we're arguing and yes, sometimes I do initiate the arguments. I'm not perfect. But for all those other times where I haven't wanted to discuss things with you and when I haven't wanted to get into an argument like this, you've constantly pushed me into it. Allow me to have my space when I ask for it. That's all I'm asking. I'll work on tempering my speech if you'll work on listening when I tell you to back off.
no subject
You need to learn to pay attention. If I believed that everything was about me do you think I would bother with half the shit I do for you? I have been working myself ragged to make sure this next attack will go off without a hitch. Why? I certainly don't need to attack anyone. I would be perfectly fine waiting until the right moment to strike the Executives and never bothering with any other minor attacks. I have more than enough to earn another promotion. There is literally no reason for me to bother attacking anyone else.
But I'm doing all this for you. You want to be entertained, you want to fight, and you want to be allowed to be as reckless as you desire. Fine. I don't like it, but I can set things up for you and make sure that things will go well. I have been doing everything in my power to make sure that this will go smoothly and that my Pokémon can handle the stress of controlling a Gym Leader so you won't have to deal with it. You told me how badly that bothered you and I've listened. I told you that you won't have to go through that again, but that is a crucial part of this plan. I've been working to make sure that my Pokémon can handle that part alone.
That's not the extent of it and you know that. If I didn't care about you, do you really think I would try so hard to please you? To make sure that you're at least content? I can't make you happy, Kimblee. I've accepted that. I do what I can for you. And yet you turn around and claim that I'm selfish when I explain why I do the things that I do? Do you think I like being this way? Do you think I enjoy driving everyone away? Do you think I want to fight with you about this?
And you have the audacity to claim that I only think about myself.
[He folds his hands and leans his chin against them, but it doesn't do much to hide just how badly he's shaking.]
I'm not telling you to tolerate the way I treat you. You want me to work on changing, fine. I've already told you that I've done everything I can think of to change, but fine. I'll try again just for you. All I'm asking is that you give me space when I ask for it. That's it. But no, that's apparently asking for too damn much, isn't it?
You don't know when to back off. I thought it was just you being particularly bullheaded, but now I genuinely think that you don't understand. I need time to work through things on my own. I never wanted to tell you about Kimbley and what happened in my version of Amestris. Was it the right choice? Probably not. Would I have told you eventually? Yes. But no, you backed me into a corner and forced answers out of me; you have forced me into talking numerous times about things I didn't want to discuss. I chose to engage you in this argument, but this is one of the few times that I have actively had a choice in the matter.
Yes, I shriek at you and say things I never should say when we're arguing and yes, sometimes I do initiate the arguments. I'm not perfect. But for all those other times where I haven't wanted to discuss things with you and when I haven't wanted to get into an argument like this, you've constantly pushed me into it. Allow me to have my space when I ask for it. That's all I'm asking. I'll work on tempering my speech if you'll work on listening when I tell you to back off.