A very ugly snort.

"You're both too edgy and up your own asses is what it is."

That's what 'It's complicated' always ended up being. Chu-e knew from experience.

But, he would let Theo stew in it for a bit.

"I am." A small pause. "He's sweet. If he keeps up with the charm, I'll be forced to make him my second husband."

[attr="class","beck"]the snort's enough to make him chuckle. it's disgusting.

his eyes widen slightly at chu-e's words.

"who's your first?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"Arthur Wright." He sighs, just a bit, at how the name still stings when it curls over his tongue. "I don't know if you ever met him personally but you might have heard about his dad."

An oil baron from Kalos with a lot of fingers in more unsavory pots. Had also been one of Rocket's biggest benefactors for years.

"He liked me for some reason, and I guess I liked him, too. I would have invited you to the wedding but we didn't really have one. Just legal documents signed and we went home and fed each other cake."

There was a bit of a melancholic sigh.

"He's dead now, though, so I guess it doesn't really matter."

THEO BECKETT

[attr="class","beck"]"guess not,"

he lies — it matters. remembering them is the least they can do to honor their memory; the lives they lived. doing anything but would mean betraying them.

and he can't do that.

not again.

"who's your second?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"Ah, ah- Tit for tat."

A soft laugh despite the previous conversation.

"Tell me if you're going to self sabotage and I'll tell you all about my boyfriend."

Information was rarely ever free, after all.

[attr="class","beck"]"hm."

he squares his jaw, considering. it'd be so easy to just close off.

but chu-e deserves better.

"most likely."

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"His name is Leon. Blond hair, cocky as hell, sassy. Wouldn't have lasted a minute in Kanto."

But that's not always a bad thing.

Words slide from his tongue easy, after THEO BECKETT's confession.

He deserved better, too.

"Do you feel like you need to make up for something? Or that you're not good enough?"

The field was laid before Theo if he chose to play this game.

[attr="class","beck"]"both?"

uncertainty carries in his words, in the way his eyes narrow in thought. buried deep somewhere deep in his subconscious, he wants nothing more than to submit to his fears, but to do so would cost too much.

"i just can't...give him what he wants."

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"So you're being a pussy to spare your own feelings but you're going to act like it's for his sake. Got it."

Sharp tongues knew how to cut through bullshit.

More questions bubble up but he pushes them back. That isn't how this game is played.

[attr="class","beck"]sharp words bounce off, unable to pierce through layers. he offers chu-e a soft sigh and a couple of words. just two, actually:

"pretty much."

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

There is a bitterness there. Gavin is his best friend, his brother at this point. He doesn't want his friend to hurt.

And Theo was....

"You're both really fucking stupid."

His gaze turns back to fish.

[attr="class","beck"]the moment looks to pass and yet he keeps it here with a question.

"does that make you angry, chu-e?"

highly likely but it never hurts to double-check.

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"Don't do that shit where you ask me questions you already know the answer to."

It hadn't been fun growing up and it wasn't fun now.

And he was angry. It flared up, sudden, a raw fury whose flames he had ignored for months.

"Everyone from fucking Kanto, who saw it, you're all so fucking damaged you won't even try to move forward! You won't try and better yourself, won't try and put in the fucking work to deal with your demons, so you're all going to fucking mire yourselves in your own rot!

He took a breath, chest suddenly heaving, voice slowly rising.

"None of you can see the forest for the fucking trees! You could put in the work to try and be happy but you won't and it's pathetic.