[PRP-BATT] Old Aches (Become New Again) [Leeroi/Guouli]

[zeflamigo]

"Yeah..." Leeroi admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling goofily. "We're kismesises... She... Uh, she was crashing here just until a couple days ago." He fumbled with his hands, trying to explain things in the shortest story possible.

"There was this crazy mission. She lost her legs, we kissed, it was all dramatic and s**t. Took her back here to model her some replacement legs— she couldn't really go home since her hive's all ladders and stuff. All good now though!" Leeroi flashed a thumbs up, certain he got all the important details.

"Whaaat's new with you though?" Leeroi meandered backwards into his hive, eyes still on Guo. He didn't want to crowd him at the door.  

[Gl!tch~]

"So... You..." Everything was suddenly going too fast. Guo didn't like it. Utter radio silence, just to drag him back to brag about quadrants? With a troll Leeroi was supposed to be getting over?! Two quadrants. Leeroi had somehow, despite great ********, managed to score two quadrants already. Leaving Guo with...

He balled his hands into fists at his sides. Plan was to finally get to chat about recent events, his investigation, his blacklisting. Now he just wanted to hang out with Akkira and get away from the choking feeling in his chest.

Guo went to see what was up with Gangrene, and Leeroi just ******** off in the meantime. Cool.

"Just been doing stuff with Kiri, I guess." Guo shoved his hands into his pockets. "Not macking on every other troll I meet, unlike some assholes." Mainly because the opportunity never seemed to present itself, but he wanted to jab anyway.  

[zeflamigo]

Leeroi flinched at Guo's response, smirking. He wasn't sure how to react to such a shitty insult, aside from laugh it off. "They're largely kissing me, dude, I don't know what to tell you," He shrugged, weaving his fingers and putting his hands behind his head. "Sorry for being hot?" He barked out a laugh.  

[Gl!tch~]

"Yeah. You're welcome for keeping those looks in tact for ya, bro. I should be getting royalties at this point." He rolled his eyes and slid by. So that one ghost Leeroi cried about came back. But that left someone else the bluebood had nattered about sooo much once unaccounted for. "So what happened to that dude who supposedly sang about you n' your scars? Did he get lost in space or what?" Not that he cared.  

[zeflamigo]

Fellah? Guo was bringing up Fellah? He was surprised the blueblood showed interest in that, after he had so eagerly ignored talking about it before.

"I, uh... Haven't been able to contact him..." It was a shame, Leeroi really liked the guy. He shuffled his feet, looking at the ground. Scratching his unshaved cheek, he sighed. "I met his agent or something up at the towers, but... I don't know, she gave kind of a weird read? I don't think she's going to get back to me..." He frowned, disappointed.

"But, now there's another girl... Maybe... I think," Leeroi rubbed the bicep of his metal arm. "I met her at that whole murder masquerade fiasco when we were kids... She's so sweet and pretty, like, it makes my chest hurt, you know what I mean?" He brought a thumb to his bloodpusher, emphasizing it. It quickly dropped to the side, and Leeroi's excitement diminished.

"But she's moirails with Captain Vidari, my commanding officer. That... complicates it."  

[Gl!tch~]

He didn't care, but to hear Fellah dropped contact was the least suckiest thing so far. Guo scoffed at Leeroi's follow up. "God, you've got a whole line-up of options, huh?" He didn't care though. His teeth started to grind but it didn't matter or anything.

"And Captain Vidari? God, guess you're s**t outta luck there. Don't worry about it, I'm sure there'll be someone else in like a week. You're so hot n' all, I don't see why you bother to mope about the s**t that doesn't work out, bro." He clapped Leeroi on the back.  

[zeflamigo]

"Well..." Leeroi opened his mouth, and shut it again. He thought for a moment then paused to look at Guo. "I don't think Vidari's going to give me much more trouble so much as it's... kind of weird. I mean he gave me trouble, but I, uh... kind of lost it on him and kicked his s**t in?" He laughed, a bit smug.

"I don't really want other people knowing that— I'm not sure if I'd get... kicked out... for it..." Leeroi waved his hands in front of him, trying to dismiss the conversation.

"Hey, let's do something. Smash?" He plucked a game disc box off the nearby table. "I just got the new one, if you're down for it!"  

[Gl!tch~]

Bloodfest came and went, plus Guo's outburst. It still left a bad taste in his mouth that Leeroi's stupid crush followed them into actual competition. Guo had apologized, sure, but it didn't feel right. Like it didn't go the right way. He didn't know how to talk about it, and he wouldn't even know what words to drag out of his throat. All this horse s**t really made him start to miss Akkira.

Outside of the toboggan run and Assjacked, Guouli avoided Leeroi for the most part. The other blueblood had a booth to run with his supposedly-special kismesis and just. Barf.

He managed to take some of his feelings out on that uppity redblood chef who smiled all the time like another well-known uppity redblood, but it still wasn't the same. Fun, exhilarating, good adrenaline rush, but no actual closure.

Leeroi liked a yellowblood he still hadn't gotten with, as far as Guo knew. Same with that Superstar dude...

So, maybe... Maybe? He could try...to do something. Anything. He didn't know what. But everything else just left him feeling shitty and discontent. Guo knew how to get s**t done, by not giving a flying ******** and going for it.

Thinking about how he didn't act for over a sweep now felt like knives driving themselves in his stomach over and over, with every little what-if moment.  

[zeflamigo]

Bloodfest left Leeroi in exceptionally high spirits, but not in a particularly bragging mood. He had a great time with Hemera, shared a lovely confession with Elidae, but he knew at this point that neither of those things mattered to Guo. He had blabbed about it to Hemera, and that sated him for the time being.

Still, he definitely wore his new bracelets as a happy reminder. They may not have been obvious at first, but after a white-knuckle round of generic battle royale, Leeroi couldn't help but roll up his sleeves. He leaned back in his seat with a hearty sigh.

"GG, huh?" Leeroi offered his hand out for a fist bump.  

[Gl!tch~]

Heart bracelet. With yellow thread weaved in. Guouli couldn't tear his gaze away from it.  

[zeflamigo]

"Uh, bro?" Leeroi snapped a finger, trying to wake Guo out of his trance. "Are you ok? You need some water or something?" Leeroi's expression was pained, and he couldn't figure out what was going on. Guo was just... staring.

"Bro? Guo?" He reached out for Guo's shoulder, trying to shake him slightly. Maybe he needed sleep. Sometimes Leeroi got like this if he tired himself out.  

[Gl!tch~]

"Of course. Of ******** course. It had to be a ******** lowblood," Guo muttered. Every time he thought maybe a troll was out of the running, they came right back. ********. <********," he said, curt. "Anything to win, right? Low a bar as possible if you gotta." He'd met Psykgi, seen Elide and Hemera. Nothing made them stand out or show to be a cut above despite their blood colors. It made him sick. Tears stung at his eyes. He literally started struggling to breathe. Guo sniffled, let out a harsh chuckle to cover it, and shoved past Leeroi. He didn't want to be here right now.  

[zeflamigo]

Leeroi's expression fluctuated quickly with emotion. Confusion, anger, pain, and eventually landing on a mix, frustration. He didn't know the first thing about what Guo was saying. It had to be a lowblood? What, the game? Leeroi hadn't even noticed if it was a lowblood that killed them. Anything to win, what did that even mean?

"What? Guo, I—" Leeroi furrowed his brows. Seeing Guo close to tears, though, he felt himself at a loss for words.

Guo didn't cry. Guo didn't even cry when they were kids, when he had to cut off Leeroi's decaying arm. What the hell could be upsetting him so much? Leeroi couldn't even imagine. His bloodpusher sank as Guo shoved past him, running away. Unacceptable.

"Hey! HEY!" Leeroi stumbled over himself, pushing himself off the couch to catch up. He barreled toward Guo, roughly grabbing his shoulder to spin him around. With little grace, he pulled the other blueblood in for a hug, smothering him.

"You're a ******** dumbass if you think I'm going to sit and watch you run away crying like that," A heavy metal hand rested on the back of Guo's head. "Come on, what's up?"  

[Gl!tch~]

He hoped for a clean break. Instead, he made mere steps before Leero grabbed him and forced him into a smushed embrace.

It was warm. Caring.

Too late.

Guo fought back, but Leeroi had way more mass and grip on his side. He struggled and squirmed, creeping closer and closer to critical mass. Guouli Pyrero didn't cry. He didn't get hugged. And he wasn't going to be pitied like this, the loser Leeroi had to coddle.

I need to get out I need to get out I "needtogetoutofhere," he babbled and hiccuped. One of his crushed hands managed to find a pocket and pull out a knife. He pushed it into Leeroi, like a stinger. In and out like a warning to back off.

Guo wanted to push Leeroi away and run out into the snow and find his thinkpan, likely buried in it. Because he sure couldn't find it right now.

HP: 20/20
DMG: 6  

[zeflamigo]

His eyes were closed when he felt it. A sharp pain in his side, warm blood spilling. Leeroi doubled over, clutching the wound instinctively with his good hand. It took him a long, hard moment to even process what happened to him. It felt like a ******** up cutscene that didn't make any sense. Guo was... betraying him? His best bro? Why?

Tears rushed to Leeroi's eyes faster than words came to his lips. He stammered uselessly, looking up only to search Guo's eyes for some kind of answer. Some kind of reason.

"What the ********, bro?" Leeroi didn't move from his place, blocking Guo's path. He wasn't running away from this.

HP: 14/20
DMG: 0