[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

[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.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan stares at him for a moment, taking in the sheer amount of pitiable moron in front of him, before he lets out a deceptively huge sigh. It's rather controlled, all things considered, because he's very focused on keeping his shit together and not imploding into a little ball of violence like he so very dearly wants to. But no. Okay. Priorities, Ampora. Priorities. He reaches a hand, and then casually flicks one of Equius' horns. Light enough not to really hurt, but enough it'll be felt.]

Hey.

[He slides a bit down the armrest, reaching out a hand to invite Equius in, rather than just pull him into a hug. Which he wants to do, oh god, he really wants to. But... taking it slow. Not pushing too hard.]

We've talked about this, haven't we? You leave Time and deciding what's worth it to the resident timelord. Which isn't you, I'll remind you.

[geometry]

[But you still want to. You still want to scream at him and give up and agree. And so does he. And yet, it doesn't happen. That's not right. Hence the great big pile of pitiable moron where a yellowblood troll used to be.]

[He doesn't take that invitation. How could he, after what he literally just finished establishing how not worth it he is? He's just not worth it. He's not worth the effort. He's not worth Eridan even giving up a little bit of his infinite timeframe to talk to him. And he's certainly not worth a hug.]

[Maybe speaking would be a bad idea, in case he tries to actually say more than a few words. So he just shakes his head.]

[chronomancer]

[Rather, he wants to find every single person who's ever hurt Equius and scream at them and then indulge in gross acts of violence. But he'll never agree that Equius isn't worth it. Eridan wilts a little, though he only rests his arm along the back of the couch instead.]

You're worth it, to me.

[He offers another thin smile.]

And you're worth waiting for, too.