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]

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.

[chronomancer]

[Forever awkward and unsure.]

Oh.

[Part of him wants to take her on her offer. Part of him is still expecting the other shoe to drop. Most of him thinks he doesn't deserve the offer, and that if he did take it, the other shoe would drop anyway.]

I... it's okay. I swwear. It's nothin.

[guiltapalooza]

[Is it an Eridan thing to be perpetually afraid of her sudden and severe disapproval? Willow doesn't get how she could be at all intimidating.]

... Well, if you change your mind, the offer's open? I guess I'd be more surprised if you took me up on it. You guys have a serious thing about not accepting kind gestures, don't you?

[chronomancer]

[A tiny helpless shrug.]

It's nothin personal...?

[The intended statement ended up coming out as more of a tentative question.]

[guiltapalooza]

Oh phooey, I know that. I'm just a worry wort. [She smiles apologetically.] I don't have anyone from home here, so I think I'm kind of making up for it by mothering everyone. I don't mean to be nosy.

[Actually, she mothers people regardless of if she has canonmates, but it seems plausible to her.]

[chronomancer]

...I'm sorry.

[And now he feels like a dick.]

Havve you been here for a long wwhile?

[guiltapalooza]

It's been a couple months, [she admits, but her smile turns more genuine and warm at the apology.] It seems like a lot longer than it is, probably. My group is a little... inseparable.

But it's okay, I'm making friends here, so I'm not entirely a mess anymore. [It's said in a joking, self-deprecating manner, but definitely with more humor than anything else.]

[chronomancer]

Yeah, being alone in a strange place sucks. But.

[Think, think, think!]

You're nice enough, you probably havve tons of friends already.

[guiltapalooza]

Aw, thanks! Who knows, maybe if I keep being nice enough, you could end up one of them.

[Mostly still joking here. Willow isn't really that overbearing.]

[chronomancer]

[sdfgsdfkjgshdfkj]

...maybe.

[Oh god, how do you friendship.]

[guiltapalooza]

No rush. Take your time with that answer.

[An amused look. She'd probably been a lot like this at thirteen, to be fair.] In the meantime, even if you aren't hungry I should really show you were the cafeteria is, at least. We're almost there.

[chronomancer]

Alright.

[But he doesn't specify which. It's better that way.]

[guiltapalooza]

[trooping down the stairs, and sure enough, they've soon come out into the cafeteria. Willow leads the way to the kitchen without hesitation]

Did you want to ask me anything else? About the tower, or... my magic? [She thought she'd provide the opening, since that might've been what startled him earlier.]

[chronomancer]

...oh. Oh!

[You. Kinda need to smack him with social clues sometimes, Willow. Sorry. And then randomly when you do, he runs away instead of engaging.]

Wwhat's your magic like?

[guiltapalooza]

[She can do that. His cluelessness is kinda endearing, actually.]

My magic is hard to explain. It's mostly based on energy and will-- you need the power to accomplish something, but you have to know how to direct it, too. It takes a lot of practice to get it down.

You can pretty much do whatever you want with it, though. Like I think, feasibly, if I had the right magical artifact, I could time travel? But the thought gives me the heebeejeebies. I mess things up enough without going that far.

[chronomancer]

Wwoww, that sounds pretty awwesome.

[AND ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO STAY AWAY AND NEVER PISS YOU OFF, LADY, HOLY SHIT.]

[guiltapalooza]

It can be, but... it has its drawbacks, [she says, somewhat ambiguously.

Now that they're in the kitchen, she's going straight for wherever the oatmeal is and taking it upon herself to make it for him. Yup, she wasn't kidding about the mothering.] But sometimes it can be fun. What about you, do you ever to get to do anything nifty with your time thing?

[chronomancer]

[Eridan is just watching warily from the sideways, unsuspecting to her mothering ways.]

Not much, really. I kind a goofed for a little wwhile at the beginning... but once the timelines started to get doomed, it stopped being fun pretty quickly.

[guiltapalooza]

... Yeah. That happens. [There's a soft understanding to her tone. Willow knows all about things that seemed fun going very, very downhill.

But he seems down enough without her adding to it, so she heats up some water in the microwave and turns back to face him.] Maybe while you're here you'll get to do something not, well, doom-related? I've been kind of taking the opportunity myself; when I left home we were in the middle of another end-of-the-world situation.

[chronomancer]

Maybe.

[He looks dubious at the idea, but at least he doesn't outright reject it.]

It... doesn't seem like a vvery happy place though.

[guiltapalooza]

You know, Eridan, [and gosh isn't it strange to call someone not her boyfriend that,] I've learned something pretty important over the past seven years. Uh, about three sweeps.

I've learned that the universe isn't ever going to be a happy place; you have to grab it for yourself when you can. [The microwave beeps, and as she reaches up to remove the bowl of heated water, she glances over at him and smiles, at ease with herself.] If you can do that, it makes all the times you have to fight a fight you can't win... well, it makes them worth it.

Not to get preachy on you.