[OPEN] you tried to keep me warm

[chronomancer]

Characters: Jaderi and YOU!
Setting: Media floor.
Format: Starting with action, but I'll match you.
Summary: You know what? Screw this. Eridan is going to watch movies and not go shithive maggots for a change. Yes. This is a thing he's doing. Totally.
Warnings: Eridan going shithive maggots and probably being mildly creepy. Eridan's mouth. Bad musicals. Event stuff, too.

[He should probably let people know he's back. Probably. Probably. Should probably do a lot of things, but he's not really feeling it. He's feeling a lot of things, but that's not the point.

What was the point?

Oh, yeah.

Right.

Watching shitty musicals and singing along and most definitely not doing something stupid. Stupider. Was stupider even a word? It should be. Probably was. Probably should go find the others. Let them know he's okay. Haha. Right. Equius and Jade. Jade and Equius. And the rest too. Sure.

What's he doing here again? Oh right. Musicals. Nice, soothing musicals. Always know where you're standing with a shitty musical, really. Same with a rifle. You're either shooting it or you're getting shot. Either you live or you're dead. Either or. Always, one or the other. Goddammit, life would be so much easier if it were a musical. Worse comes to worst, all you get is a shitty, subpar dance number that no one will ever remember again.  Like that. God, that's a terrible number, and somehow he still remembers the song anyway.

So hey, there's this scrawny, thin boy curled up on a couch with a few blankets, softly singing along the worst musicals known to man. And trying really hard to not do the batshit crazy thing. Because god knows no one needs him to do the batshit crazy thing. Ever. At least he doesn't bite?]

Comments

[geometry]

[...]

[After a few moments, he lowers the bow... slightly. He seems to be glancing around the room a lot, as if there were some monsters hiding in the corners that hadn't shown themselves even after hours of Eridan sitting there being a sitting duck. But what if there were clever ones, ones that did exactly that? Hiding monsters, that had to be what was going on here-- wait. Shit. Eridan. One of the monsters had. Infiltrated his mind or something. Or it was a shapeshifter. Oh shit.]

[The progression of this thought was displayed perfectly on his face; needless to say, there's more backing up. And that bow, it's right back up again.]

...Eridan?

[Ow.]

You're real, right?

[Might as well throw the second question in there because Gira is A+ at writing tags.]

[chronomancer]

[Gira is A+ and perfect and you better not be badmouthing her, okay.

Eridan offers a wry smile and a small shrug.]

'm gonna assume you don't want me to go all philosophical on you about this, hon, and just say yes. Yeah, I'm real, as far as I can tell.

[He stays in place though, waiting. He'll wait for as long as Equius needs, really. He knows what it's like to be in that frame of mind. It's not very pleasant.]

[geometry]

[WHAT NO OF COURSE NOT HAHAHAHA... HA HA HA... Ha ha... ha.]

You sure?

[Because obviously, the best way to detect a possible demon mind-controlling your matesprit is to ask them.]

[chronomancer]

[Don't make me start on the praise be to Yevon Gira, because we'll be here all night.]

Pretty sure.

[He offers another smile, which he hopes is reassuring.]

[geometry]

[No need for that, tyvm~]

[Anyway, he spends a full thirty seconds just watching Eridan. Waiting. Waiting for that bastard to just lunge for him, in which case this arrow? Is going right through that Aquarius symbol.]

[It's still pointed at that symbol as he finally decides to take a step forward. His fear clearly hasn't eased much at all.]

[chronomancer]

[You made me use a FFX reference though. I might have to now, anyway...

Eridan keeps himself in place. A little unkind thought squirms its way through his mind, mocking. He feels his lips twitch a little, but otherwise he controls himself.]

I'm not going to hurt you, Eq.

[geometry]

[He'd like to believe that. He really would. But since he literally just pressed back from that small twitch, it just wouldn't be the truth.]

[Perhaps today wasn't such a great day to test Eridan's patience.]

[Murmuring another apology would do nothing but hurt his throat more, so he scraps that idea. And slowly, the bow lowers again, with an actual loosening of the arrow to boot. It's still in position; if he wanted to, he could pull it back up in a second if Eridan tried anything.]

[Cue awkward and mortified silence from him.]

[chronomancer]

The water is still a thing that can happen, you know?

[Eridan smiles a little bit more as the bow lowers again. He doesn't step forward though. He won't unless Equius invites him to.]

I have a glass here. Or I can go get you one downstairs. It'll make your throat feel better.

[geometry]

...Not yours.

[Ah, the power of priorities.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan's smile widens a little.]

Alright. I'll bring you a fresh one, alright? Can you wait here for a second?

[geometry]

[...The way he looks at Eridan, beginning with the words "wait here", should answer that one for him.]

[chronomancer]

[Oh Jesus fuck, stop stabbing him in the heart with pity. And then twisting the knife. God.]

Less than a second, even.

[He flickers and then he's back, slightly more to the left, holding the promised glass. And maybe he looks a bit hurried. It might look like teleporting for you, but it involved a lot of running and hurrying along for him. But hey, he's not complaining. For once. He offers Equius the glass, slowly, again with the not stepping forward and into his personal space unless he's expressively invited.]

See?

[geometry]

[Sorry brah, you know he can't help it. It just kind of happens when he's standing around teetering on the edge of complete mental breakdown.]

[Carefully, one step at a time, why the fuck was he having trouble balancing now of all times, he creeps toward the jadeblood. ...And when he's finally got said water somewhat in his hand, he jumps and nearly drops it and curses (really curses) under his breath, because cold. Wow. Okay.]

[Obviously his brain is working great today and Eridan has no need to worry!!]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan reaches out when Equius nearly drops the glass but stops short of touching him. It's hard, but he manages. He offers another quiet smile.]

Would you like to sit down?

[geometry]

[He can't do much but stare and nod at that smile. Why is Eridan smiling at him. Why is anyone smiling at this?]

[He nods.]

[chronomancer]

[Because when shit hits the fan, it's always either smiling or screaming and Eridan's pretty sure Equius doesn't need the screaming.]

C'mon, you'll feel better once you rest a little, yeah?

[He risks stepping closer to Equius, though avoiding sudden movements, and motions for him to sit on the couch, the same nest of blankets Eridan had just been sitting on before.]

[geometry]

[Equius fumbles around a bit with the water (aw damn, now it's on the carpet) and glances back at the spiral staircase, as if thinking that maybe there was still an opportunity for him to escape the wrath of Fussmaster Eridan Ampora. Of course, this was not true. But he looks around quite a bit before even coming close to the blankets.]

[And then proceeds to chug the water in a few gulps and wrap that shit like a cocoon.]

[chronomancer]

Rest a little.

[Eridan leans a hip on the armrest of the couch, still keeping his distance.]

I'll keep watch, okay?

[geometry]

[...Keeping watch?]

Aren't you [cough hack cough] leaving?

[chronomancer]

If you want.

[Shrug.]

But it's easier to rest when there's someone watching your back, right?

[geometry]

[Sleeping won't do anything. He delayed getting out of his room for as long as possible, meaning he's more or less caught up n it. Dude's just... stressed. And frightened. He remains sitting on the couch, curled up in an impossibly small position in some impossibly large blankets, and looks up at Eridan.]

[This doesn't make sense.]

...Why?

[chronomancer]

Because...

[How to put into words the disaster that are his thoughts? Easy enough, just don't.]

Just because.

[geometry]

...but you... should hate me. [Presented as the most obviously true statement in the world.]

[This has been another episode of, "Great trains of thought that happen on Tower hiatus". Tune in next week for a special announcement.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan looks genuinely surprised at that.]

Eh? Why would you think that?

[geometry]

[Because a lot of reasons that he can't explain to you due to the fact that he's pretty bad at articulating at the moment, and also has blown his voice out. But, you know. Whatever.]

'cause I'm... [Words. What are words. It takes a seriously long time before he finishes that sentence.] ...not... worth your time. [Even when you have all the time in the world. He's still not worth it.]