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

[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.

[guiltapalooza]

I do, [she says firmly.]

So what kind of magic do you do, if you're sort of a mage?

[chronomancer]

Time, mostly.

[He rubs the back of his neck.]

But I kind a suck spectacularly at it.

[guiltapalooza]

--Time? Like Aradia? [Her eyes are a little wide.]

I haven't even touched that; it's majorly complicated.

[chronomancer]

[She will notice Eridan has stopped following entirely. Mostly because he needs to stare, holy shit, what.]

[guiltapalooza]

[Whoops, stopping with him a second later to turn around and see what the problem was.]

... Was it something I said?

[chronomancer]

[Yes. Everything. Holy shit. Eridan shook his head.]

...no. I wwas just. Surprised.

[guiltapalooza]

But, um... surprised by what?

[The question is vaguely hesitant. Willow's starting to get the sense that he's easily overwhelmed, which is not her intention.]

[chronomancer]

Just... it's a lot to take in at once.

[Nice and vague, yes. Let's keep it nice and vague.]

[guiltapalooza]

It is, but, it seemed like a specific sort of... taking in. What with the stopping.

Not that I want to press. But you realize I'm like a harmless fluffy bunny, right? You can actually say things to me. [So she might be more like the Monty Python and the Holy Grail version of a harmless bunny, which is to say, hiding vicious fangs; but Willow doesn't actually want to use them, and especially not on someone friendly. For all intents and purposes, she does think of herself as harmless.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan has thoughts along the lines of Troll Monty Python and the Holy Grail, himself, but he decides not to say anything and instead he shrugs lightly.]

It's okay. It's not your problem.

[A small pause and then he looks sheepish.]

I mean... you. Don't havve to go out of your wway.

[guiltapalooza]

Maybe I like going out of my way.

[She glances at him, trying not to scrutinize but undeniably curious. Her Eridan had reacted so strongly when she'd offered to be his friend; she wondered if he'd be at all the same. Because unless he turned out to secretly be incredibly rude and violent or something, Willow wanted to do what she could.] If I can help with anything, I want to.