towerofanimus | This wasn't part of the plan...

Entry tags:

This wasn't part of the plan...

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?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[adsfhgsadkljahdg]

I'm fine! Really.

[Not.]

Just. Wwoke up a little while ago.

Ooooh, I see. Don't worry, a lot of people are freaked out when they first wake up here...!

[And then a small pout, before she's back to a smile.] But really, it's OK! And I don't mind helping if you're not feeling the best!

Yeah, it's. Kind a ovverwwhelmin, takin all in at once.

[He looks hesitant.]

It's not vvery fun, though.

No, it is not very fun.

[She didn't invite herself in, but she apparently found it comfortable enough to take a seat on the floor in the doorway and smile.]

When I first got here I thought it was actually kind of cool...! I was exploring, and I even found some of my best friends here! But the longer I stayed, it got scarier, and I started to miss my mom and dad and grandpa.

[Her face fell a bit, but she did her best to keep up the cheeriness.] But I have also made a lot of new friends while I was here! So it is not all bad! At the least you are not alone.

[Eridan listens quietly, all the while his fingers carefully and unrelentingly going through piles and piles of film. There was something... really familiar about this human, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.]

...you don't seem the type wwho wwould havve a hard time makin friends, though.

[He smiles tentatively, looking down at what his hands are doing.]

But I guess you're right. At least wwe're not alone.

[At first she let out a small chuckle.]

I guess so. But it's not so hard! All I do is act friendly with people and be nice! It's not so hard~!

[She used her fingers to push up the sides of her mouth to make a smile.] Just smile! And if you ever need any help here, I will be glad to provide it!

...thanks.

[Eridan pulls on a long strip of film, carefully untangling it from a messy ball, and after a moment looks up at her carefully.]

I'm Eridan Ampora.

Eridan?

[Whoah, what. Okay then. She was pretty sure that Eric liked purple, not green but uuh. Ooookay then.]

Oh, my name is Echidna Hackett! I think in your universe I would be like Jade or something. So it is nice to meet you~!

[The film slipped from his fingers at that.]

...Jade?

[He stared.]

As in Jade Strider?

Strider?

[She blinked a bit blankly at Eridan's surprise. And also at the Strider part. What?]

Um, no, Jade Harley. The Strider in the party is Dave, but he would be my other friend's equivalent. Or something. [AUs were hard.]

...ah. Sorry. M--the Jade I knoww, his name's Jade Strider.

[...wow, this is weird. And awkward.]

[Staaare for a minute.]

So are you like the Eridan from the same place as the Grey-text Kanaya and the Blue Karkat?

[Aaand a beat.]

His?

Yeah, those are my friends.

[He blinks. Then nods.]

I knoww. It's wweird.

Are you sure your Jade is a boy? I mean I've heard of genderbends before but "Jade" still is not really a name you use for boys on Earth.

[Eridan shrugged.]

I don't knoww about names, just what he said.

....

[EH, whatever. Probably wasn't any of her business. For now.]

Well! That's weird. But tell me what your universe is like!

[He shrugs.]

Mm, wwhat wwould you like to knoww about it?

Well, what happened with your session! If you're jade-blooded whereas the eridan i know of is purple-blooded, then what are everyone else's blood colors? Is the Hemospectrum still a thing? Did Jack Noir still happen?

Our session was screwwed up.

[His tone is just a little bit clipped about that, looking very intently at the film in his hands. Then he slumps somewhat.]

Evveryone's blood colors are different from wwhat I'vve heard, the hemospectrum's still vvery much a thing or not important at all, dependin on wwho you ask.

[A hiss of breath between teeth.]

An Jack Noir still happened. That ties in wwith the wwhole "our session wwas screwwed up" thing.

[Echidna frowned a bit; she wasn't sure how upset he was, but she could tell it was a bit of a sore spot.]

To be honest I think a lot of sessions are screwed up. I mean I do not know about ACTUAL sburb, but even with Jack Noir, I do not think any session could really follow a properly rigid structure or whatever.

And just because Jack Noir happened does not mean things are a total loss...! I mean, if there are an infinite number of alternate universes and timelines out there, then there must easily be like a thousand where Jack Noir happened and the session was still winnable.

[Eridan stared at her for one long moment, before he snorted, unamused. When he speaks, however, it's not aggressively, but rather resignedly. Bitterly.]

You'd thinks so, huh? But it doesn't work that way, Time. There's an infinite number of alternate timelines but there's only one alpha timeline. The rest of them are doomed. Just like their universes.

[Just like ours.]

Maybe time does not work that way, but that does not mean universes do not! I know it is kind of the same property, but there are still some how a bunch of multiple universes that seem to exist and collide in this place! Like yours and mine...!

[She felt a bit awkward at how bitter he sounded, but she was still going to try and stay cheerful damnit!]

Wwell, yeah. There's a bunch universes wwhich I think might be just off-shoot timelines or twweaks, but there's still one alpha. Being doomed doesn't mean you don't exist, just that you wwon't exist for long.

[He sighs, pulling on a long string of film.]

But maybe I'm wwrong. You'd havve to ask a Space player, maybe. Or a Doom one. I just knoww about howw Time wworks.

Well I sort of know space-player mechanics. [She said off-handedly, tapping her chin.]

And I don't think there's one "main" universe really, so I don't really think the concept of an "Alpha" timeline is as important as we think it is. Not that Time and Space work the same, but still. [She pouted a tad.] At least here...I don't think you have to worry about it too much?

[Eridan tilted his head to the side, and nodded reluctantly.]

I guess you're right.

[He gave her an inquisitive look, pretending to be engrossed by his work.]

...are you the Space player of your session?

[It was odd to think of Jade in any other role but Time.]

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and now, for the brainbreak:

alternate universes be trollin'

and *how*

btw you have the best icon just saying

^^;; The source pic is amazing. Have you seen it?

YES and it is the most beautiful piece I have ever seen

wallpaper-worthy, I say

aaw yeeah

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and how