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]

[There's a long pause.]

Oh.

[Because... well, what else can he say?]

I'm not.

[guiltapalooza]

I can see that. [She suddenly gives him a wide grin.] Don't worry, I won't hold it against you. I think all of this blood stuff is silly.

Let's go get you your oatmeal and I'll explain the rest?

[chronomancer]

Oh.

[Eridan looks vaguely uncomfortable at the grins and the smiles, pretty sure he's not done anything in particular to deserve them. He feels a tad overwhelm by the good will, and kind of reeling still about the whole situation.]

I don't wwant to be rude or anythin. But I think I need some time alone to let evverythin sink in. Maybe... maybe wwe can talk some more later?

[Oh god, she was going to get mad. He felt worse the moment the words left his mouth. She was trying to help and now he was being a dick and--]

[guiltapalooza]

[Of course, since this is Willow, she doesn't get mad at all. She looks faintly surprised, but mostly worried.]

Are you sure? I don't think it's rude, just-- it can be pretty dangerous around here. I wouldn't want you to get hurt because you don't know what to look out for.

[chronomancer]

Oh.

[He pauses.]

...wwe can wwalk some more if you wwant. I'm not really hungry.

[Which is not entirely truthful, but this whole conversation has been killing his appetite.]

[guiltapalooza]

[Yeah, still concerned. So far he's been way different from her Eridan-- a lot more reserved. She'd seen moments of anxiety in the one she knew, but he was also pretty forward.]

Alright. No pressure or anything, [she rushes to reassure him.] I'm just a worry wart. And also... okay, kinda curious.

Cause the time I met the highblood version of you he was snooty and awful, but you seem nice. [Maybe if she compliments him he'll feel easier? It's not like she doesn't mean it.]

[chronomancer]

[What are compliments. How do you deal with those. Eridan shrugs awkwardly, not sure how to take that.]

Ah. I wwouldn't knoww. Havven't really met him or anythin.

[guiltapalooza]

You probably won't, now, anyway. For some reason there's never more than two of anyone here, and the other Eridan is a total sweetheart, so you're safe in terms of intolerable doubles.

[She says this firmly, having strong feelings on the topic. Back home she'd had to deal with a soulless vampire version of herself once, and once was really enough, in her opinion.]

[chronomancer]

[Oh, hey, something new to feel guilty about.]

You mean he's gone because I'm here?

[guiltapalooza]

No, no, you wouldn't have shown up if he hadn't left already. Honestly, I haven't seen him in weeks.

I see that guilty look, and you can quit it, [she scolds him.] Whatever's going on here is out of our hands.

[chronomancer]

[Wincing at the scolding and stepping back a bit. He raises his hands a tad placatingly, though he's now considering running again.]

It's a possibility, that's all. You nevver knoww.

[guiltapalooza]

[And now she feels guilty, and gives him an apologetic look.]

I guess it's possible, but I don't want you to feel badly about it. You just got here-- you have a lot to deal with as it is. [And she might be being overly forward because she can't help but feel like she knows him a little... Whoops. Willow is not very good at being unbiased.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan's shoulders drop somewhat. His tone is very resigned.]

I'm used to screwwing up. It's nothin neww.

[guiltapalooza]

Then you're in good company, because me and screwing up are well acquainted, [she says sympathetically, very much meaning it.]

But since we do it so much on our own, let's try not to borrow trouble, okay?

[chronomancer]

[A tad unsure...]

If you say so.

[guiltapalooza]

Good. I'm glad we got that... covered.

So, you ready to look around? I swear there's more than bedrooms.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan blinked.]

...didn't you just say that it's dangerous to wwander about?

[guiltapalooza]

Without knowing what the dangers are, absolutely.

But at the risk of sounding arrogant, I'm pretty confident I've got this covered by now.

[chronomancer]

[He doesn't exactly look like he's brimming with confidence, but...]

Alright. For a little wwhile...

[guiltapalooza]

So... this way! Stairs. [Just gonna head that way, now.

She shoots him a smile, trying to be reassuring. He's not really good at this social thing, is he?] Don't worry, I'm a big powerful witch. Not that I enjoy fighting, but if it comes up, I can take care of it. [She sounds pretty chipper as she says that, though a bit of it is intentionally masking her own self-doubt.]

[chronomancer]

[She is very... overwhelming. Not enough to send him bolting yet, but still not exactly the type of person he hangs out with much. Except for Fef but Fef was... different. Eridan nods at her explanation, not exactly reassured.]

Ah. I'm a Mage. Sorta.

[guiltapalooza]

[Willow would try to tone it down, but she's not exactly good at that.

In fact, she perks up at his comment.] Wow, really? So you aren't going to ask me if my magic is fakey fake? [That may be a direct quote.]

[chronomancer]

[Stare.]

...wwhy. Wwould I do that?

[guiltapalooza]

[ ... She giggles a little.]

No idea, [she says airily, deciding not to make a big deal out of it.] You're alright, you know that? [Even if he's reserved enough to make her think of a nervous Oz, and gosh, wasn't that a strange mental image.]

[chronomancer]

[Utterly unconvinced:]

If you say so.