Noises off

[geometry]

Characters: AUquius (barely) and YOU!
Setting: Floor 14/THE VASTNESS OF SPAAAAAAACE.
Format: Do whatever.
Summary: ...Dude. Hey. You've been sitting here for hours. Equius? Hello?
Warnings: None. Unless Gamzee shows up...

[Planets are dying in the middle of fabricated space, all over the floor and walls of the Tower's fourteenth level. How long has this been going? Which planets are being destroyed? And why, dear god, is Equius Zahhak sitting in the middle of it?]

[None of these questions have gotten an answer, nor does it look like they ever will. Sitting in one particular corner of the room, strategically placed to be as invisible from the staircase as possible, is Equius. He's just sitting there. Staring. Watching them die. The pulse is gone, as it always has been, and that offers no comfort; but the visions, illusions, whatever they are, they put him at ease, though he really does not care enough at the moment to be concerned about this. Or anything else. In case it wasn't apparent enough that something's gone very wrong in that delicate little thinkpan, whatever expression was on his face before has now completely glossed over.]

[He's apparently content to sit here with his legs pulled to his chest and watch not-space implode around him. It's a fair bit better than running himself ragged over another fit of paranoia, anyway, and he just wants to stop for a second. A second. A second, really, that's all it is, except it turns out to be more than a second. Seconds melt into minuts which melt into hours he's been sitting here in the corner, and Equius has no intention on leaving, because it's quiet and peaceful and he's just... so... tired...]

Comments

[wrigurun]

[It sounded like she wasn't getting anything good out of him and for a while she leant back and stared at the projections around her. She doesn't understand Equius at all. At first Wriggle thought that maybe she could act like some kind of protector and beef up her ego for a change but there were things here that she couldn't stand up to either. Not that she was that powerful to begin with. The reality of it was that she was totally alone from her world, even the number of bugs she found were minuscule in comparison.

Even if they weren't friends in the slightest, he was still probably the closest thing. Out of all the people she'd met, she could actually remember his face. After a good few minutes of silence Wriggle finally spoke again]

Were you like this a lot? Before you came to the tower I mean.

[geometry]

[He'd noticed the same thing too, a long time ago. The tower was a horrible mess of isolation. It was isolation that was driving them to ridiculous limits, damaging their minds from being away from what they know for so long -- and what it's been replaced with it was nothing but a constant stream of pain. That observation was what had gotten him into this mess. Note to self: attempting to reach out is a bad, bad idea. Do not attempt again.]

...Yes.

[He was. Virtually every aspect of his base personality was exactly the same (though it was slowly changing, and he's been trying to prevent that -- another sign of how little he truly understands how people work). Of course, the Tower is an entirely new set of challenges that always seem to confirm his worst fears. In between trying to prevent the healing, since change must be avoided, and the Tower continuing to completely ruin all of his nerves... well, no one can really say for sure, but it seems like he's only gotten worse.]

[wrigurun]

Must be tough...

[It was obvious she didn't actually comprehend the extent of it. Despite being constantly taunted and beaten up a lot back at her world she was considerably lucky. It was easy for her to bounce back, never losing sight of her goals which was admirable considering how much she lost sight of everything else]

You need to be more confident though. Sitting all by yourself like this doesn't look like fun.

[geometry]

...There's someone looking for me.

[Oh god. Oh god why is he actually saying this out loud.]

He... he's going to kill me and. I. Don't... really... want him to.

[And that last part is the critical brain-implosion part. He should definitely want Gamzee to kill him. He should be happy that Gamzee wants to kill him. Gamzee is an indigo-blood and he is perfectly entitled to kill anyone he wants, up to and including some pathetic yellowblood scum.]

[And Equius doesn't want him to.]

[And that's terrible.]

[wrigurun]

[Wriggle's eyes widened at the sudden reveal. Well of course no one would really want to be killed but that doesn't make the fact any less startling. Suddenly alert she sat up and looked around the room for any signs of company]

H-he does? Who is it?

[geometry]

[Oh he has to... say his name... doesn't he. That's definitely not shaking you're observing in Equius' horribly skinny frame.]

G-gamzee. Gamzee Makara.

He's a... troll.

[wrigurun]

[For a moment she looks quite pensive. That name sounds so familiar and she just can't think where. Gamzee... Gamzee...

Oh!]

I remember him! I said I'd be his friend at a party. He talked funny... but he let me ride on his shoulders. He was really nice!

[Does she even remember why he was just mentioned?]

[geometry]

[Oh lusus of god.]

[Yeah, uh, no response. Except for the shaking. The shaking is worse.]

[wrigurun]

... Equius?

[Maybe it was a different Gamzee?]

[geometry]

...N-n-no... he's...

[Stop. Breathe. Breathe, Zahhak.]

...he's angry.

Gamzee is angry.

[wrigurun]

[He seemed like the most relaxed guy she'd ever met. Even people like that must get angry sometimes but with someone like Equius she couldn't be sure if it was angry angry or just mildly annoyed angry]

About what?

[geometry]

[NO HE DOES NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS OK]

[...so...]

[he's not. He's not talking about it.]

[Instead he's going to return into that curled-up position and practically clench it shut with his arms, as if that would somehow protect him from continuing on with this conversation.]

[wrigurun]

I'm sure he's not really angry. I bet if you talk to him you'll work things out.

[She could not be more blind to the atmosphere if she tried]

[geometry]

No!

[...Oh. That was loud.]

[wrigurun]

[Wriggle flinches at the sudden noise. Despite that she still carries on the conversation with a slight uneasiness]

W-well, you don't have to. I can talk to him for you if you like.

[geometry]

No. Don't.

[He picks up his head from the tangle of limbs to look at her. He looks twitchy, sleep-deprived, and less than completely sane, but hopefully this is the one message that will get through her head.]

Wriggle, do not talk to him. Okay? Please don't.

[wrigurun]

[Now that she can see he's face clearly she's perfectly sure they've been having two different conversations. A little uncomfortable by this new development she goes back to fidgeting with her cape]

Um... If you're sure.

[At least if she remembers not to]

Why is he angry anyway? He seemed pretty relaxed when I met him.

[geometry]

[Wriggle.............]

[He lays his head down again.]

I... did something stupid. More than stupid.

He... yeah.

[wrigurun]

He what?

[Even though she was given more than enough signals to stop she can't help buy grow more and more curious]

[geometry]

[It's not that hard, Wriggle.]

He's going to... kill me.

[wrigurun]

I told you, I'm sure he's not that angry.

[It just isn't getting through that 'he's going to kill me' isn't just a figure of speech. Wriggle gets up from where she was sitting and straightens out her cape. With her hands behind her back she smiles]

I think you're getting too wound up. I can get you some snacks and something to drink from the cafeteria. That might make you feel better.

[geometry]

...Wriggle.

[He stands up. Not easily. But he does. And he grabs the front of Wriggle's shirt and yanks her close.]

He. Is. Going. To. Kill. Me.

[wrigurun]

[This was never something she expected from Equius. All Wriggle could do was stare wide-eyed in silence before she finally processed the action to pry his grip from her shirt]

I-I think you're over reacting...

I'll get you something to drink. Hopefully you'll have calmed down by the time I get back.

[geometry]

I'm not overreacting!

[He reduces his voice to a hiss, because otherwise, he would be screaming.]

Wriggle, you don't understand how his caste works. He is insane. He is going to kill me.

[wrigurun]

[Slowly she shakes her head. There was no way they could be talking about the same person. Frankly, seeing this side of Equius was unsettling for reasons she couldn't quite articulate]

I don't know what you're talking about...

Just wait here, okay? I'll get you something.