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

[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?

[chronomancer]

[Eridan tensed again then relaxed minutely. Then swallowed hard, subtly stepping back to put more distance between him and Sollux. At least he knew Captor and Sollux, and knew what to expect from either of them. But this was apparently neither. The novelty was unnerving.]

Ah, Kar's here too?

[thekidsare0kay]

Wow. [He laughs and rubs his nose, looking up at the jadeblood] That Karkat told me that I wath thome kind of inthane thea dweller in your world, right? Thorry. I'm jutht a yellow-blood, pthychic bipolar emotional methh. But nothing like that guy thoundth.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan blinks, relaxing a bit.]

Yeah, they're. Special. Sol is alright most a the time, anywway.

[But the less it's said about Captor, the best. Eridan shrugs, clearly feeling awkward, though he tries to smile a bit.]

I'm just your run a the mill jadeblood. I don't really hang out with him all that much.

[Or with anyone else, but that's not the point. Good impressions, right? Right.]

[thekidsare0kay]

[Sollux nods a bit, looking Eridan over with curiosity. He had firmly placed Karkat in the 'douchebag' category now, thanks to recent events, but the question was pretty open on this weird Eridan. Would he be less annoying if he was a mid-blood?]

I'm technically my Eridan'th kithmethith, actually.

[chronomancer]

[Enjoy the absolute blank look, Sollux. You might have possibly broken his brain.]

...wwhat.

[thekidsare0kay]

...What?

[chronomancer]

[Eridan shakes his head.]

...nothin'.

[Wow, he knew he was hatable, but he'd always assumed it was in a strictly platonic way. I mean, it's him.]

Congratulations, I suppose.

[thekidsare0kay]

Thanks. [He's still looking at Eridan a bit oddly] I know you're not him or anything, tho don't worry. You've got a clean thlate ath far ath I'm contherned. Tho long ath you aren't that blue-blooded dickwad'th matethprit or thomething.

...you're not, right?

[chronomancer]

[Eridan gave Sollux a fascinated look, then bit back a snort. Then another. Soon enough, he was chuckling and trying very hard to stop.

Him? Karkat's matespirit?

The idea was hilarious.]

[thekidsare0kay]

[Oh my god.

Eridan.

Laughing.

Sollux stares at him while he chuckles away, unable to believe it.]

What'th tho funny?

[chronomancer]

Me in anyone's quadrants but mostly just in Kar's.

[Eridan snorted again, self-deprecating amusement coloring his tone.]

[thekidsare0kay]

You don't have any quadrantth at all? [He frowns a bit] I'm sure ED would have thaid the thame thing until not long ago, but you don't theem tho bad.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan looked unconvinced.]

Ah. You'vve knowwn me fer fivve minutes.

[thekidsare0kay]

[Shrug] I'm open to being convinthed otherwithe. But I can tell you that Karkat ith really different from mine, and your Thollukth ith different from me, tho you're probably different from that highblood douchebag I take great pleasure in throwing againtht wallth when he mithhbehaveth.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan blinks at that. And then shrugs half-heartedly.]

...wwell, I'm not a highblood. And I'm not all that excited about being throwwn into wwalls. So I guess you'vve got a point.

[thekidsare0kay]

Try not to kill any of my friendth and we'll be fine. [He smiles] Maybe you're more like Kanaya. That'd be okay.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan looks mildly guilty at that, but he tries to smile back anyway.]

...the Kan I know is pretty cool.

[thekidsare0kay]

Yeah, she ith. I know her, too, though not very well. [He wonders at the guilty look, a wary expression flashing across his face, but he's trying not to let his prejudices get in the way] Tho do you have any quethtionth about thith plathe? I've been here nearly thinthe the beginning...

[chronomancer]

[He shrugs.]

Wwhy is kind a the biggest one, but I guess there really isn't an answer fer that. Wwhat's it like here, anyway?

[thekidsare0kay]

[Shrugs back] We don't know why, for sure. But I think it'th thome kind of bit ekthperiment. They've ekthperimented on uth before, and I'm sure they will, again. And the whole plathe keepth fucking up in weird wayth.

Ath for what it'th like... Every floor ith different. The food ith on the bottom and the rethpite blockth on top. Motht of the floorth in between are dangerouth in thome way, though thome of them are cool.

[chronomancer]

Wwell, that sounds just charmin.

[Eridan scowls. So. Okay, slowly getting used to the idea of not being dead. Enough to be annoyed at the idea of being alive for someone else's amusement.]

Wwe can explore them?

[thekidsare0kay]

Yeah, it'th pretty shitty. [He nods] Be careful on the really dark floorth ethpecially. And the oneth with water, unlethh you can thwim.