[META BATT] Beat (Aerona + Cerpin)

[Yamashii]

c'mon, gimme a beat

 

[Yamashii]

It was her.

Cerpin felt his body immediately tense up at the sight of Aerona Scrall in the hallways of the Chittentown Space Tower. He couldn't tell if it was from anger, guilt or frustration. The last mission together had ended disastrously with multiple injuries across all four of them, Mahmud and Sascha making it out the worst. Her enraged face as she shoved him as hard as she could was still in his mind.

The small digs as she smugly backed Sascha, a gog damn Royalist, over her own ally was still on his mind.

That first night in Salamire, also on his mind.

"Hey. HEY." He stepped in front of her, purposefully blocking her path. "We need to talk." Truthfully, he didn't know where this was going to go. But things couldn't stay where they were currently. The rebellion was too small for this to go unresolved somehow.

"You were taking shots at me that entire ship. What's your ******** problem?" He glared at her face, hands on his hips. His absence from Superstar's stage, his closeness with Mahmud, his relationship with Sascha, his failures and weaknesses, she'd managed to take punches at a lot of sore spots. What was her deal?

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

Exhausted, but not beaten. The military medi-kits did her wonders. She’d gotten away creature-bitten (vaccinated for space rabies, or whatever), but Mahmud was in dire straits. She’d chewed her nails down until she bled, walked a trench in front of the infirmary doors. Aerona finally took a moment to tug at the tight braids coming off of her temples. Breathing in and then heavily out, she walked to the snack dispensing droid.

One Diet Glub later, and the jitters had only gotten worse. There wasn’t anything to climb, but hey… Maybe she could climb up the Chittentown cliffs.

So, the ship had started off peachy. Playful, successful, maybe a little laissez faire. The damage had built up and she didn’t even notice - pay attention, prepare, damnit - until it was too late. Chaos. And of course, Sascha getting dinged up and -- ugh, Mahmud. She and Cerpin managed better than the rest. Naturally! Rebels, right? Sticking together, like the swamp family they were. She kicked at the ground, the tile making a shrill squeak under her boot. Aerona folded her arms over her chest and stared at the ceiling, letting her eyelids drop.

And then, that damn voice.

Aerona’s eyes might as well have opened into serpentine slits. Immediately a vein pulsed in her forehead as she clenched her jaw.

“I’ve got a bone to pick with you about that purpleblood kid.”

Rebel resolutions were violent. The last time Aerona had gone to clear the air, she’d ended up with a suckerpunch to the gut and a broken face.

“I thought we were having fun, Prince… Can’t take a little joke?” She spat through clenched teeth. Her curled hands balled into tight fists, knuckles whitening. Aerona breathed through her nose and tried to walk past Cerpin, perhaps coincidentally checking him with her shoulder as she did. “You know what I have a ******** problem with. You’re in the P.I., figure it out.”  

[Yamashii]

Quote:

HP: 20/20
Damage: 4
Military Grade Weapon

The force from her shoulder hit him harder than he'd expected and knocked some air out of him. Instantly he was riled up and ready to go. Grabbing her arm, he yanked her forcefully back towards him and slammed her into the nearby wall. He knew from the mission together on the ship that distance between them would only give her more space to blow up his a** with her bombs.

"Yeah, we're in it together." He hissed, eyes glaring back into her's. "Biases don't belong there, I thought." He pressed his weight into her angrily, trying to pin her there. He would not hesitate to hit her harder but keeping her contained was his main goal. He wanted to force her to answer his questions which meant, she was not slipping away from him!

"You gave me so much crap for the same exact stuff Sascha was doing. That's bullshit!" They'd both showboated on that ship instead of paying attention to the task at hand. They'd both injured themselves stupidly breaking down doors. He was beyond frustrated with the high expectations that surrounded him that didn't seem to apply to lowbloods.

Sypon

cliff notes
cerpin: wahhh wahh wah

 

[Sypon]

16/20

The force of Cerpin’s sudden movement rattled Aerona’s ribs, pulsing up and down her chest with the impact of the wall. She grunted and found herself trapped, huffing heavily through her nose in an attempt to move him.

“First of all,” Aerona shot back, “Get over yourself,”

She struggled against his weight, finally able to release an arm. She forced her elbow up against his neck, prying him apart from her with as much force as she could.

“I don’t trust Sascha as far as I can throw him. I’ve had sweeps to tell Sascha he’s a reckless, dumbass manwiggler and I thought for a second you might be different,”

Her chin quivered, lip raising dangerously. Aerona suddenly shifted her hips against the wall. Her boot came up and slammed down on Cerpin’s in an instant.

“So how am I supposed to trust you?”

3 bamage  

[Yamashii]

Quote:

HP: 17/20
Damage: 3
Military Grade Weapon

"Hey, no he's n-" He ought to be happy to hear her s**t talk Sascha after his last comment but he wasn't. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly on defense again. She lumped the two morons together with her complaints about the lieutenant. Her elbow forced his neck out of position and he grunted in discomfort. Cerpin glared at her but was cut off by a sharp pain in his foot from her well aimed stomp. Stumbling backwards, he released his hold on her and wobbled to regain his balance.

"You should trust me because it's been sweeps and I haven't screwed over the group. I've invested my life into this!" He readied a swing and aimed it at her shoulder. He wanted to weaken her arms in case she tried shoving him around again. Just in case, he followed it up with a second punch.

"I'm different than those other jerks-" Cerpin said with a lot of spite behind the words, "I'm fighting for your ******** rights. Even though I'd rather throw you off a cliff, I'm fighting so people like you aren't trapped under people like me!" He readied his arms up to protect against upper body attacks.

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

13/20

“This isn’t about Sascha,” Aerona remarked. She was breathing heavily now, still locked in a hold. “It’s not… about you either!”

She twisted with all her might, kicking out a foot to sweep Cerpin’s legs. With her attack on his foot and his focus on her fists, she hoped to knock him down.

“THOSE other jerks… YOUR rights… PEOPLE LIKE YOU, PEOPLE LIKE ME! Don’t you ******** get it? It’s not about YOU, it’s about US! You should be doing this for US! Stop acting like I owe you a big ********’ trophy for being a decent person!”

She climbed on top of him, heavy hips seated firmly on his stomach. She aimed for his face with a flurry of punches, punctuating each word with a blow. “Life isn’t fair! So what, you’ve INVESTED? So have the rest of us, a*****e! The others… Can’t… Even… Go back… To how it was before!” She thought of the swamp villagers - hives all razed, learning to adapt in a hostile swamp. Even her small hive in Busthind was no rich and glitzy club in Chittentown. Cerpin and Aerona both had their names, of all things, and Cerpin was using his to present as a playboy celebrity sponsor on the grubtube. It didn’t matter what his long game was. Cerpin was living a life of royalty. Decked out in golds and donning a dramatic cape, he was a media darling. An Alternian posterboy, and one without the clout to prove himself otherwise.

Aerona heaved a breath and held her clenched fists up, eyes watering.

6 damage!  

[Yamashii]

Quote:

HP: 11/20
Damage: 6
Military Grade Weapon

She knocked him to the ground and he could barely raise an arm to shield himself from taking the punches to his eyes. Aerona rained down on him like a heavy hailstorm of bullets. Groaning and growling from the impacts, he tried to struggle but she had him securely trapped and all he could do was take the hits. Each blow was accompanied by an emotional bomb and he felt like his pumpbiscuit was about to explode.

"I KNOW!" Cerpin erupted, his chest heaving and his face bleeding. It felt like there was a tooth loose in his jaw and he spit it out to the side. Aerona glared down at him, ready to unleash another round of pain at any moment.

"I know it's not about me, I know that I have it easier than everybody else, I know I'm not a decent person!" He slammed his fist down against the ground, shaking from fury and embarrassment. In a way, her judgment and punishment was validation for the fears and insecurities he'd long suspected. But it still hurt to hear and it still hurt to accept. He was privileged. He was lucky. The others were not. They lived their lives trapped in isolation while he flirted around with luxury and attention under the pretense of gathering information and recruitment. It was easier to hide his guilt and self-hate under a playful persona than it was to confront it.

"I want to do the right thing. I want to help- I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW!" He hated that it had taken him so long to seek Aerona out again. He had hidden in Chittentown to get away from the disapproving eyes of the lowbloods that he assumed wanted him long gone from the rebellion. He had told himself the motive to do good was enough. How could he call himself an ally to these people though if he made no effort to understand them?

He grabbed her by the hands and dug his nails into her so she could not pull off or escape. His hands tugged her roughly down closer to his face, claws scraping against her shoulders and back. He wanted to hurt her. He didn't want to. He didn't know what he wanted.

"Tell me what to do! Help me understand you!" His voice was angry but there was a desperation to it as if he was pleading.

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

7/20

Aerona struggled, but found herself caught in the sharp grip of her opponent. She was a bit taken aback. The sudden confession, the heartfelt remorse, the goddamn whining. He was a ball of pity and hatred all wrapped in one, and if Aerona was exhausted and emotionally preoccupied she’d be oscillating like a madwoman. But for now, the thoughts were just too much.

“Has no one ever told this before?” She stuttered, still seething. Aerona tried to pull up and felt the needlepoints of Cerpin’s nails in her back. She reciprocated by loosing a quick sock to his jaw. The last thing Cerpin needed was to be coddled. A good fight was… A reality check. Maybe for both of them. “Just… Listen! ******** now, her temper was starting to rise. She felt the heat behind her eyes as she was restrained, and growled in response to his desperation. Aerona bucked to no avail.  

[Yamashii]

Quote:

HP: 11/20
Damage: 0
Military Grade Weapon

"Of course they haven't-" Cerpin grunted and struggled against Aerona's punching and shoving, "No one wants to talk to the highblood a*****e! Everyone writes me off as a hopeless cause without even trying-" He eventually lost his grip on her and the redblood was able to break free. Cerpin pulled himself to his feet, wobbling as he also held an arm up to shield against an opportunistic attacks at his face. She really wanted to bust up his looks it seemed.

"But I AM listening! You need to start ******** talking!" He shouted, not caring if their scuffle was attracting attention from other trolls in the tower or not. He was going to beat an answer out of her if he had to. Wait, no, that wasn't quite right. Augh! He could not escape the violent tendencies that had been taught to him since birth. But he was willing to try.

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

7/20


Aerona backed away, scuttling backwards before getting to her feet. She stood her ground. Her boots planted at hips width, shoulders back. “The more you whine, the less you listen!" She shoved him with both hands, suddenly acutely aware of the hallway around her. In no time there could be other volunteers - security - drones - they were in a military base, after all. ******** do I have to keep kicking your a**? Because I can slap some tough truths into you any ******** night of the week, Sugall. If you can handle it like a grown-a** troll.” Aerona lunged forward and puffed out her chest, face to face with Cerpin but not coming into contact with him. Her horns nearly grazed his face, a dangerous level to be at.  

[Yamashii]

Quote:

HP: 7/20
Damage: 3
Military Grade Weapon

"If we're gonna talk whining, I think you're winning." Cerpin bounced off the wall after she shoved him. He glared back at her. He was trying to find out what she wanted but she was more interested in beating his guts out of his body.

"This goes both ways, jackass." He reached to grab her by the collar and brought a knee up to try and hit her in her midsection. "Have some gogdamn compassion. You s**t on people for not meeting your expectations but you're not any better!" His breathing was ragged from the aches and pains that flared through his body after taking so many attacks from her.

"I want to fix this but you just want to punish me." He let go of her and spread his arms to the sides. His eyes were burning with frustration and disappointment. "So go ahead, smite me. Lecture me. You ******** saint!"

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

4/20

Aerona received a thick blow to the gut. She backed against the wall, chest heaving, and slid down. Her shoulders visibly shook, mouth contorting as she tried to form words. She laughed - grimly, sloppily. She wiped some spittle from her bottom lip and rolled her eyes up to look at her fellow rebel.

“Do you think I don’t know that? Yeah, Cerpin. I’m. An. a*****e. I do s**t that gets me in trouble, that makes people hate me, that doesn’t help anyone. I get over it. I get over myself. ******** own it and be better.” She leaned on one arm, ready to get up if he decided to make another low blow. “Do you think this is the time that we're gonna fix our s**t? While Sascha’s brain is bleeding and Mahmud’s entire body is a rubble pile? Just chattin' in the hallway for five minutes, beating the s**t out of each other?” Her conversation had turned less venomous, more exhausted. She struggled to her feet.

boom the damage of 5  

[Yamashii]

Quote:

HP: 2/20
Damage:
Military Grade Weapon

As Aerona pulled herself up to her feet, Cerpin sank to his knees in distraught exhaustion. She'd pulled her trump card and gone straight for the blood pusher. His eyes dulled in a frustrated depression. She was right. He was hoping for too much here. And there were too many other problems to deal with at the moment, both of which stung to think about. Mahmud, his roommate, broken to pieces when Cerpin should have protected him. Sascha, his friend, killing himself every night trying to chase a dangerous dream without him. It was too ******** much.

Tevini, off alone testing her powers without knowing how fatal they could truly be. He punched at the ground, unable to contain the things he was feeling inside his body.

"You're right, okay?! You do, I don't and I- Just..." He wanted this to be over. He could barely breathe.

"Help me. Help me save them. I can't lose them but I sure as hell can't seem to protect them either." He was embarrassed to admit how much they mattered to him to Aerona of all people but she seemed to have her s**t together much better than he did. If it took groveling to Aerona to keep his precious things safe, he would. Even if it was humiliating.

Maybe that was the point. It shouldn't be.

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

4/20

ending this fite pow pow the damage aka emotional support ????????????????????

Cerpin was never an enigma, but Aerona never quite had him figured out. Maybe he was a tangle of neuroses, but (and she’d never admit it) his bloodpusher was attempting to prod in the right direction. If anything he had a bit too big of a bleeding bloodpusher. It made him insecure and paranoid. Whatever this was, it was whatever was inside of the royal troll since his wiggling days. No insidious royalist plot, no self-aggrandizement. Just purple guilt and self-blame.

Everything ached, whether from the mission or the struggle Aerona couldn’t tell. She sighed, put up her arms in a sign of exhausted peace. “Sure. Let’s help each other for once, ‘kay?”

Regardless of how Cerpin felt, they were both a mess. Aerona felt wandering eyes on her. She would be the one to take the fall for this, and as a security drone closed in she reached into her pouch for some gauze. “Sorry I busted one of your redeeming qualities,” she mumbled, shifting her shoulders up. Aerona cast her gaze away, looking at the floor as the drone passed by. Thank gog. No arrests for battery tonight. Now would be a really terrible time.

“We can continue this - maybe without as much punching - later. At my hive in Busthind. After the missions wrap up. I’m cooking, you’re bringing me flowers for the centerpiece. For now we can go grab a drink or something. I hear Mahmud’s got a shitton of apple juiceboxes in his recovery room.”

Aerona broke into a smile, weak and crooked. But genuine.