This wasn't part of the plan...

[chronomancer]

Characters: Eridan and YOU.
Setting: Room 1-10; Dormitory Hallways, attmepting to head towards the cafeteria.
Format: Starting with Action tags, but I'll match your preference.
Summary: In which Eridan wakes up and Is Not Dead, followed by a self-pity storm, followed by a bit of exploration. And oatmeal.
Warnings: Ridiculous amounts of self-pity. Additional warnings will be added as necessary.

Room 1-10.

[Eridan was not having a good day. For one thing, he was having a day in the first place. Which wasn't supposed to happen. He knew that much. For another, looking into the trunk at the feet of the bed he'd woken up in - his? - he found his Time Reels. Completely unreeled. So he's trying really hard not to go into meltdown at the whole situation by carefully trying to fix his damn reels back as they should be. Which wasn't really working out all that well.

So there he is, sitting on his own bed, tangled beyond hope in what seems like miles of film, trying to carefully reel it all back in place. And very casually hyperventilating at the fact he was alive. He really wasn't supposed to be, dammit.]

Dormitory Hallways.

[Having given up on fixing his reels - right now - Eridan chose to explore a bit and see what kind of people were around. He walks around the dormitory hallways, with this defensive, "I have no fucking idea where I am" expression on his face, feeling unnerved and lacking in weapons or defenses.

But he's hungry and the letter said he could find food at the cafeteria, which is where he's hoping to go. At some point. When he stops being hopelessly lost and jumpy about every shadow in the corridors.

Hey, he's not the Hero of Space, alright? Cut him some slack. ...please?]

Comments

[Dormitory hallways] CASTMATEEEEE /breathes on

[gloomyapoplectic]

[So she's still feeling pretty damn guilty about the thing she pulled with Karkat, even if it was for a good cause. Plus she needs to clean her chainsaw, it's looking pretty gnarly. So she's making her way up to 2-01, and on the floor just below, she stops.

And stares.

And stares some more.

It can't be. He was supposed to be...

She can't even think it. Not after Karkat.]

Eridan?

ALL MY FEELS. ALL OF THEM.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan startled at the sound of his name and turned around abruptly, clearly still on a fight or flight mindset. Given his current lack of weaponry, the only point of it was to see who he would be running from.

And then he saw Kanaya.

And then stared.]

...Kan?

i am preparing for a mass of Feels too

[gloomyapoplectic]

[Oh my god. It's her Eridan.

She's so overwhelmed with Feelings as it is from dealing with this tower and Karkat's drama and her own drama, and she almost looks on the verge of hysterical tears for a second before she rushes to him and...hugs him.

I'm sorry, Eridan, you have an overemotional mutant clinging to you right now.]

You have no idea how happy I am to see you.

[guiltapalooza]

[Willow has to do a double take when she sees him walking down the hall. Is that... Eridan? Not-a-seadweller Eridan. Since she hasn't heard him mentioned before, he has to be new. Plus, new people always have a certain look, like they're waiting to either wake up or get attacked, and he has it in spades.

So she's cautiously approaching him, wondering what this one will be like. She better take this slow, not overwhelm him with well you got kidnapped, and your world might be destroyed, and there's another one of you here and I'm an alien and I'm kinda dating him, but oh, I swear I won't get you confused!

Yeahhh, one thing at a time.] Hello? You just woke up, right?

[chronomancer]

[Oh. A human. Eridan frowned somewhat, warily keeping his distance, because while he wasn't exactly afraid of humans, he didn't know this one. Better safe than sorry.]

Yeah. And you? Wwho are you?

[guiltapalooza]

[Gosh, even his W thing is the same. Though he's enough younger that it just makes her think adorable. Hopefully this one isn't a jerk face like the other one she'd run into.]

I'm Willow Rosenberg. I'm in the same situation that you are, I just... have been here for a while. [Make that a couple months, but wow, let's not go into that just yet either.] I can give you the rundown, but it's all a little crazy. --Make that a lot crazy.

ROOM 1-10

[tortileghostwriter]

[Eridan, do you know how much sleep paralysis sucks?

It sucks a lot.

You might notice a familiar face in the bed next to yours finally managing to sit up.]

Let the awkward begin.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan sees movement from the corner of his eye and freezes, half buried under a pile of film. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He didn't even bothered to look around the room properly before diving into his trunk. And then there were his reels and... Oh fuck, stupid.

He peers at David, blinking. But the tension doesn't quite leave him yet, because...]

...David?

[tortileghostwriter]

[Guess who's never seen a troll before? THIS KID. Still, the alien factor and the jade streak in his hair...well, he can guess.]

... Eridan?

[thekidsare0kay]

[Seeing Eridan mincing along in the hallway as Sollux comes around the corner, the psychic trots forward towards his kismesis, giving a laugh. With Eridan's face turned away, he doesn't see that the colour of his hair isn't quite right, but it's definitely not that other Eridan - this one is too short.]

There you are! Where the fuck have you been?

[chronomancer]

[Eridan startled at the call and the familiar voice. He turned around and tensed. Captor. No. Wait, too nice to be Captor. Eridan relaxed slightly.]

Sol?

[thekidsare0kay]

[Sollux' grin widens a little when he saw Eridan tense. What's he been doing that he's looking so guilty?

Then he blinks. There's something wrong...here...The face and horns are Eridan, but the hair is all wrong, and there aren't any fins.]

Who...no, wait. [He steps closer] Do you know a Karkat with blue blood?

Room 1-10

[metawoof]

[Snooping around wasn't always the most smart option, but...eh whatever, when has Echidna ever picked the best option. But there was miles of film visible from where she was lurking in the hallways, so she couldn't help but peak inside.]

Ooh, do you need help with that?

[chronomancer]

[Eridan poked from the pile of reel, blinking and fully prepared to... run from any threat. He wasn't exactly in the most balanced of moods at the moment.]

Wwhat?

[metawoof]

With your reel stuff! Do you need help getting it organized again?

[Unaware that this was any kind of unusual situation.]

[scalemate]

[When Terezi catches scent of an unfamiliar, wandering troll, her curiosity is immediately piqued. As she approaches, she realizes he smells... Pretty similar to Eridan. Huh.

Jegus, she hopes this isn't another murderer she needs to keep track of.]

Jumpy, huh?

[chronomancer]

[Did you know trolls can pale? Because Eridan's face just turned transparent for a second there. Then he coughs. And very slowly backs away.]

Ah. A bit, yeah.

[scalemate]

Jegus, calm down! I'm not going to hurt you!

[She leans forward slightly, but doesn't approach.]

You're different from my Eridan.

[caliginous]

[And as Eridan rounds the corner, he will find himself colliding with a familiar face, one that swears rather boldly and tries to grab the material of his shirt to hoist up whoever it is--]

Well well. If it ain't short, jumpy, and self-depreciating.

[chronomancer]

[...Eridan has never been this glad to be insulted and within Karkat's armrange before. He relaxes a bit, looking wry.]

Hey, Kar. Hi.

[caliginous]

[Casually putting him down and throwing an arm over his shoulder like a BRO. A manipulative, flirtatious...bro...]

When did you gain the misfortune of tripping into the abyss to join us in Tower Wonderfuck?

HERO OF TIME + MAGE OF TIME. Bro times, y/n

[ocariness]

[ Link was just walking the hallways, when the Hylian bumped into Eridan (not literally, Link has more tact than that) of all people. Which... actually they're fine with, considering that Link LIKES Eridan.

Though the hair and lack of fins tell Link this is an alternate. Link is heavily armed, from shield to sword to bow and quiver and gauntlet gloves, so they don't want to startle Eridan or make him think they're trying to attack him. The approach is slow and deliberate, and easy to hear coming.

Have a smile from the not!elf. ]

... Eridan Ampora. You just arrived, I presume?

Y.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan tensed slightly at the approach of the newcomer, not failing to notice the weaponry. It only made his current lack to stand out more. Though this one looked friendly enough. He didn't relax entirely, but at least he didn't look like a deer against the headlights anymore. Meeting people from home had... helped. Sort of.]

Yeah.

[He nodded slowly.]

Friend a the other Eridan?

[It felt silly to say that, "other Eridan". Especially because he'd... he'd always called his doomed selves "Eridan" or "Eri" or "you fuckin stupid grubfucker" when the need arose. But he supposed this wasn't just an off-shoot version of himself. This was a separate person all together.

And he seemed to be way less of an utter fuck up than him, too.]

[verymuchalive]

[Once he gets to the cafeteria, he'll find himself being accosted by a curious, God Tier Time hero who needs to investigate this finless Eridan.

She approaches, smiling as she nods down at the oatmeal]

Not much for a first meal, is it?

[chronomancer]

[Oh god. Aradia. Aradia smiling. Aradia in full Time God Tier. Aradia. Eridan's brain couldn't decide which of those two broke it the most and sort of shortcut under the stress for a moment. He'd worked pretty close and personal with Aradia in the lead up to defeat the King and the Scream, and still...

Perhaps after a bit of staring, Eridan looks down at the gruel, shifting it about with a spoon and trying hard to pretend he didn't just have a brain-break moment staring at her and thinking Jade hadn't had the wings.]

...yeah. Kan said I'vve got to eat it or else, though.

[The mention of Kanaya is tentative, waiting to see how it goes with her and how she'll react...]