towerofanimus | 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

[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.]

Uuum sort of? [She gave a half shrug.]

In my universe, sburb really IS only a game; it's a homebrew tabletop game that my friend designed. Jade was my character, and also the Space hero, and I ended up making up most of the mechanics for it on my own since they weren't all developed except for the frog breeding business. For the troll's game, Kanaya was the Space player.

[Eridan stops, turning to finally give Jade a good long look, expression fixed in a light frown.]

...wwhat... wwhat wwas it like? In your wworld?

[She blinked a bit at that. What was with the look?] What, you mean where I lived?

Um...really cold? In the winter at least. We lived really close to the Great Lakes, these really big bodies of water. There are a lot of abandoned buildings that are falling apart, but they're really fun to explore! One time we played our campaign in one actually, for the moooddd setting. [She even did some silly magic fingers there.] But usually we play in one of my best friend's game shop! His dad would even bring us snacks or hot cocoa sometimes!

Oh, there are a bunch of bad neighborhoods, but none of the criminals in our world have magic psychic powers. They just use guns and knives and stuff. And everyone has the same blood color, so there's not really a social cast system-- well there is, but it is more based on money and stuff, and it's not as important nowadays anymore.

That sounds...

[Wonderful. Normal. Not utterly fucked up.]

Nice.

[He smiled faintly, wryness tugging at his lips almost unconsciously, and dropped his eyes to his reels again, tugging gently.]

I livved in a desert. It wwas hot an kind a infested wwith undead things that I had to kill at all damn hours a the day. But I had some friends an my lusus an I wwas used to it, so it wwasn't that bad.

[He let out a hiss of air through his teeth, and his voice hardened a notch.]

An then... wwe played the game.

[She nodded obliviously happily, but her face fell a bit when Eridan expounded on his own home world.]

Er...zombies? [No wait stay serious--] We have deserts in our world too, but they don't have any undead things or anything. [It was a small attempt at a joke, but now was probably not the time for humor.]

Maybe one day I can show you my world? I do not have Space powers personally, but if we were all brought here, it might be possible, right?

[Eridan looks at her curiously, tilting his head to the side, as if considering the idea.]

Maybe. I'm still not sure wwhere "here" is. Or wwhat's goin on, really. I'd like seein your wworld, though.

[But he didn't tell her that he doubted it would be possible.]

I do not think anyone here really knows what it is or what's going on. [She sighed and gave an exasperated shrug.]

But someday I am sure we will figure it out! And it will be really fun! I can show you the game shop we hang out at, and this really cool coffee place where the drinks all have funny names, and the laboratories are my school are really awesome too! [Yep, she certainly wasn't doubting the possibility of going back home.]

[That's a lot of energy you've got going there, Echidna. Eridan smiles wryly at the last bit, though. It reminds him of someone.]

You like science?

[So much energy. Hope you're prepared Eridan, because at that inquiry, her energy output just multiplied about five fold.]

Yeeesss!! It's my favorite subject! My parents are scientists and they taught me all sorts of stuff when I was little, and they took me to the observatory and to the lab and bought me one of those little kid experiment kits when I was little! [BEAMING.] Now I'm studying nuclear physics and chemistry and neuroscience!

[Wow. She's so... so... happy. It's kind of jarring and at the same time kind of fascinating. So hey. At least she has his full attention now. Have an indulgent smile because... well, what else is he even supposed to say to THAT?]

Sounds fun.

[She's even clapping excitedly a little like a doof.] I can show you some stuff if you want! I mean I do not have a chemistry kit here or anything, but I am sure I can show you something. Or the textbooks, but I do not think most people like to read textbooks.

That's okay.

[He nods.]

Anythin you wwant to showw me is fine, really.

Then I can show you, uuummm.... [Hang on, she's gotta think for a minute.] Well, we can always start with the basics like potato battery or something.

[Regardless, she stood dramatically with her feet planted, one fist on her hip, and a finger pointing at Eridan.] OK then! Now you can be my science apprentice! Like the Pupil of Chemistry!! [No Echidna that isn't how you do game titles--]

[He seems genuinely interested! Except...]

No one... is going to get hurt, though. Right?

[Better safe than sorry.]

Of course not! No one's gotten hurt from a potato battery. But I will make sure we do not do anything too dangerous without taken the proper safety precautions!

[Sadly a mad scientist, she ain't yet.]

[It's the "yet" that's worrisome.]

Alright. Then I wwould lovve to see your science stuff.

[Some day. Some day.]

Sweet! [And she jumped a bit in excitement.] It will be awesome, just you wait! OK we will need some potatoes, some copper wires, a clock and some nails aaand those funny alligator clips. [She made a motion as if clipping something closed as she spoke.]

But you can just leave that to me! [THUMBS UP. And with that, she spun on her heel and ran out the door. Hopefully the kitchen had something!]

[We live in fear.]

O--

[And off she went. Eridan blinked.]

--kay.

[Well. It wasn't like he was going anywhere... these reels weren't going to untangle themselves on their own.]

This wasn't part of the plan...

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