[OPEN] How much of it's genetics? How much of it is fate?

[chronomancer]

Characters: jade!Eridan & YOU! 
Setting: Workshop
Format: Starting with action, but I'll match you.
Summary: Eridan emerges from his self-imposed exile for a while to clean his rifles.
Warnings: Eridan's deadpan. Potential violence if he gets pissed; lots and lots of rifles. Gamzee. Gory, ironic death via Gamzee. Goddammit, Gamzee.

[He started off with one. And then he doomed himself a few times. And well. It wasn't like he could just let them go to waste, when they started piling up.

Laser rifles need a different type of maintenance than the usual kind, but it's still maintenance in the end.

So there's a sullen troll, half hidden behind a pile of guns, carefully cleaning one by one. It's a methodical and repetitive process, but it's not like Eridan seems to mind too terribly. He's just minding his business, but hey. Maybe if you ask very nicely, he'll give you one.

Maybe.]

Comments

[chronomancer]

If you're sure.

[He frowns a little.]

Promise I won't throw you out a window.

[heavenscorpse]

Thank you. I think that would end up worse here anyway.

I promise I won't hurt you at all. I don't like hurting people.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan smiles, expression softening a tad.]

It's okay. I don't really like hurting people either, so it works out, right?

[heavenscorpse]

Uh-huh! Thank you, you're really nice.

[chronomancer]

Ah.

[AWKWARD. He shakes his head.]

It's no big deal, really.

[heavenscorpse]

Okay. If you're sure then I won't say anything more about it.

[chronomancer]

...thanks.

[He takes another rifle, pulling it apart deftly.]

So. You fought a war then? An eight-people war?

[Getting back on topic here.]

[heavenscorpse]

Uh-huh. See, after Earth died, humans weren't supposed to outlive it, but they did. So the rest of the solar system sent their strongest beings to wipe out humanity.

That makes it Type-Mercury, Type-Venus, Type-Mars, Type-Jupiter, et cetera versus human species. I was Type-Venus.

[chronomancer]

Ooh.

[He nods along.]

That sounds kinda like the Scream in my world, actually.

[heavenscorpse]

What's the Scream?

[chronomancer]

Well, one of my friend's lusus... that's like a human parent, except not at all, it's complicated. Anyway, one of my friend's lusus lived in the bottom of the ocean with her, and she had to keep her quiet because if she screamed then all trolls would die.

[Eridan shrugged.]

So when my world ended she Screamed and it was this psychic type thing that just sort of makes your pan explode between your ears. It killed pretty much all trolls in the galaxy except my friends and I, but that's only because we weren't in the same universe anymore.

[heavenscorpse]

Oh, no... that's awful. I'm sorry that happened.

[chronomancer]

It's okay.

[Have another unconcerned shrug.]

It was meant to happen.

[heavenscorpse]

I don't think that makes things any better.

[chronomancer]

Sure it does.

[He offers an encouraging smile.]

Everything happens for a reason, yeah? At least in my universe. And you know, everything had to end, eventually.

[heavenscorpse]

I think things with a will shouldn't be ended by things without one. It's not fair.

[chronomancer]

I wouldn't know about fair, but it happens, you know? Even without horrorterror things involved. Like earthquakes and natural disasters, right? Those don't have a will and kill things that do.

[He makes a thoughtful noise, looking down the hole of a barrel.]

And, I mean, I'm pretty sure Nep's lusus had a will, because it was her lusus and all. But over all, I don't think talking about will is a good base point for these kind of things. Because when you take into consideration predestination and the like, it gets really murky.

[heavenscorpse]

[She still looks dubious.]

...All right, but I don't have to be happy about it.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan laughs a little, shaking his head.]

No, you don't have to be happy about it.

[He sighs.]

There's very little to be happy about, when it comes to that.

[heavenscorpse]

Well, there is one thing. I'm glad you're still here.

[chronomancer]

...oh.

[SDLFKJHGSDLFKJGHDFLKGJSDFGLKSDF, STOP THROWING RANDOM FEEL-GOOD THINGS AT HIM, HE NEEDS TO PREPARE FOR THOSE.]

[heavenscorpse]

[She just smiles at him like she has no idea she caused a mental bluescreen, because really, she has no idea.]

[chronomancer]

[After a moment, so he's gathered his wits about him, he offers her a small smile.]

I'm glad you're still here, too.

[heavenscorpse]

Thank you.

[She wishes a real person could've been here instead of her, though.]

[chronomancer]

[Rather than saying anything else about that, he nods.]

Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?