A repitition of the soothing words Bulba had spoken when he'd first peeled Char off the hallway floor. It rang oddly dissonant, though, when it followed advice that was so entirely contradictory to what being Char meant. It would have been so easy to give in to the aloof, solitary Route 10 reptile -- to withdraw, to bitterly laugh and accept this as proof that he was just as incapable of being understood as he was of understanding others. Did Bulba even know what he was asking for when he asked for Char to be Char?
Char was very much aware just how familiar this situation was, despite this being the first time in their decade or so of knowing each other that Char had confided in Bulba. It frustrated the hell out of him. Bulba's first response had shocked Char -- his adamant refusal to talk about himself had been born out of a desire to stave off the uncomfortable looks when Char spoke about his past and spare Bulba adding even more weight to his own heavy, sagging shoulders, but Char only now realized just what it had meant. He'd thought he'd done an okay job opening up after he'd run away, thought that now he was ready to wholeheartedly be part of Green's team, but Bulba... even years after the fact, Bulba really didn't know him, did he?
...Maybe not. He just... didn't know better. Couldn't understand, just happened to be one of the many incapable of tapping into the bizarre reptilian mindset. Char knew how easily Bulba piled guilt onto his own shoulders; it was his duty to spare the kid that uncomfortable ache of realizing his words had hurt where they'd intended to soothe. But at the same time... would backing off, resolving to just handle it himself like he usually did... would that just perpetuate this stupid cycle of theirs? Or would it be a stroke of mercy? Maybe pressing on would just lead to the same result as all the other brotherly encounters: a frustrated, self-disgusted Charizard and a despondent Ivysaur.
He honestly didn't know. This all just came down to another stupid blind shot. Another of those goddamned lose/lose situations, for all he knew, but Arceus almighty, was he ever sick of just dragging himself in circles.
He didn't look at Bulba when he asked, and he kept up that subtly guarded posture. "Kid, tell me the truth... you ever wished I was different?"
I WARNED YOUUUU
Char was very much aware just how familiar this situation was, despite this being the first time in their decade or so of knowing each other that Char had confided in Bulba. It frustrated the hell out of him. Bulba's first response had shocked Char -- his adamant refusal to talk about himself had been born out of a desire to stave off the uncomfortable looks when Char spoke about his past and spare Bulba adding even more weight to his own heavy, sagging shoulders, but Char only now realized just what it had meant. He'd thought he'd done an okay job opening up after he'd run away, thought that now he was ready to wholeheartedly be part of Green's team, but Bulba... even years after the fact, Bulba really didn't know him, did he?
...Maybe not. He just... didn't know better. Couldn't understand, just happened to be one of the many incapable of tapping into the bizarre reptilian mindset. Char knew how easily Bulba piled guilt onto his own shoulders; it was his duty to spare the kid that uncomfortable ache of realizing his words had hurt where they'd intended to soothe. But at the same time... would backing off, resolving to just handle it himself like he usually did... would that just perpetuate this stupid cycle of theirs? Or would it be a stroke of mercy? Maybe pressing on would just lead to the same result as all the other brotherly encounters: a frustrated, self-disgusted Charizard and a despondent Ivysaur.
He honestly didn't know. This all just came down to another stupid blind shot. Another of those goddamned lose/lose situations, for all he knew, but Arceus almighty, was he ever sick of just dragging himself in circles.
He didn't look at Bulba when he asked, and he kept up that subtly guarded posture. "Kid, tell me the truth... you ever wished I was different?"