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

[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.

[chronomancer]

Not really. Not a lot of wwater to begin wwith, in a desert.

[And most land trolls know better than to go about asking to run into a seadweller anyway. He shrugs.]

Wwhat's in the dark room?

[thekidsare0kay]

You live in a dethert?

[He assumed this Eridan probably couldn't swim. It wasn't like Sollux had any intention of going near the water if he could avoid it. Too bad he'd been assigned to clean the pool]

There'th thome kind of monthter, I don't know. It'th not usually there, but I heard it'th really nathty if it showth up.

[chronomancer]

Yeah. Wwell, livved. After SGRUB there isn't much a it left I guess.

[He looked thoughtful.]

So the monsters are real, then. I'm guessin they're not like the ones you fight inside the game, though. Right?

[thekidsare0kay]

Yeah, guethh not. You played THGRUB, too?

[Nod] Thome of them are. I thaw thome impth, jutht like in the game, but there are lotth that are nothing like oneth in the game.

[chronomancer]

Wwell, it figures.

[Eridan looked pretty disgruntled at the prospect. But without a riffle and his Time Reels in a mess... hell, he'd conform with a shovel, really.]

Yeah, wwe played the game. But it didn't turn out too wwell.

[thekidsare0kay]

When doeth it ever? Did you end up on the athteroid?

[chronomancer]

Awwaitin certain death, yeah.

[thekidsare0kay]

Yeah. [He stretches. It feels far away to him now] And now we're in thith fucking tower, awaiting thertain death. Want to get thomething to eat?

[chronomancer]

[...whoa, switching tracks too fast. Eridan blinks and takes a moment before he nods.]

Yeah, okay.