[OPEN] you waste your time with hate and regret

[chronomancer]

Characters: Jade!Eridan Ampora('s half dead carcass) and YOU.
Setting: Floor 12.
Format: Action, but I'll match you.
Summary: Nobody told Eridan sleeping in this cold is a bad, bad idea. What did you expect from him? He knows how to survive extreme heat, not extreme cold.
Warnings: Jadeblood popcicles. Jadeblood popcicles for everyone. Also Eridan sliding down the slippery slope of murderously batshit crazy, yay.

[Watching the universes ending and stars imploding and the whole thing... it's rather soothing. Sort of. Eridan was in dire need of soothing things, to put his mind back together. He'd intended to maybe sit there for a couple hours, watching the stars dying, and trying to calm himself down from an abrupt, nonsensical rage that even he could tell was irrational. He'd been pushing down a bubble of hysteria for the better part of four days now, mostly because hysteria meant bad, bad things for all involved, but maybe if he went at it slowly, it wouldn't be so bad. Because meltdowns totally work that way, obviously. Though even he had to admit that he couldn't keep on pretending everything was right and peachy. Putting on a smile and going through the motions was getting almost physically painful, but he didn't want anyone to get hurt. (And of course, being a responsible troll and asking Jade for a feelings jam was not an idea that occurred to him, either, because what is doing the right thing, haha, you must have confused him for someone else, Eridan Ampora never does the right thing unless Paradox Space has him at metaphorical gun point about it.)

Eridan watched the cycles of destruction repeat over and over again, while he tried to put order to the mess that is his head, but it wasn't long before he started feeling sleepy instead. Not really knowing any better, and given the alternative was thinking more about Rei and such, he started nodding off, fueled by the cold.

Which is why you'll find him tucked away in a corner of the room, face buried into his knees, arms around his ankles and limbs already stiff. The sleeves of that jacket have been brutalized already, but hey. At least there isn't a single bloodstain on this floor.

Yet.]

Comments

[puppy_lancer]

[Well, if this isn't the weirdest statue that he's ever seen around here. Lancer is just gonna stand around and stare at the statue for a few minutes. It definitely hadn't been there the last time he checked. He materializes Gae Bolg and gives it a quick poke with the butt-end]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan startles at the poke. Or well, he tries to, his joints are sore and most of his limbs are stiff right now, so all you get out of that is a small jerk of his shoulders and a complaining, miserable moan.]

[puppy_lancer]

[He frowns when he sees it move. It seems that it's alive. He remains still, wondering if it's some new sort of monster.]

[reddeadvirtuoso]

[Cold and a flu? Well that was basically the exactly last thing that Jade had wanted this winter, and to top it all that she was actually y'know, leaving her room. Half because she was hungry, half because jesus was she bored.

So, sniffling and grumbling as she goes, Jade was just passing through (she didn't really like this floor much at all, to be honest), but-- it was hard to pass through when you noticed something out of the corner of your eye, and it was even harder when that thing was no doubt qualified as her Time Bro looking...disturbingly still at the moment. He wasn't even yelling at her for not having a proper jacket or something!]

Uh... Eri? [She nudged her scarf up over her mouth and nose, making her sound a bit muffled as she slowly stepped closer towards him.] Dude...?

[chronomancer]

[This quiet rasp of breath was meant to be a snore. Yay. This is all you're getting, Strider, sorry.]

[reddeadvirtuoso]

[Oh. He was just asleep.

Jade decided that gave her full cause to turn down the worry at least a little bit, and so pulled back her foot and gave Eridan a good solid kick in the side of his leg to get him to wake up.

Come on dumbass, this was definitely not the opportune sleeping spot.]

[geometry]

[Cold. Cold, cold, cold.]

[This was going to be the end of him, it really was. Equius' cold wasn't nearly as bad as some of the others going around the Tower, and it was only a matter of time until he caught the damn thing anyway, but Equius had been pretty scarce nonetheless. He was taking his own advice; sticking to his bed mostly, not doing too much, waiting it out. But after the boredom and the odd looks from his roommates started getting to him, Equius ventured out to one of those floors he could never decide if he liked or not. Either way, it was pretty soothing, especially for a Spacey-wacey type such as him.]

[As such, he was a little busy with appreciating the scenery. If he didn't think too hard about the fact that planets were exploding, it was actually a very nice experience... and so, leaning against the wall, he more or less completely missed Eridan's presence for the first few minutes. Though there was a lot of sniffling and coughing from his corner of the room, which kind of broke the mood, but whatevs.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan registers the little - or not so little noises - but it takes him a while to react with more than a little whine in the back of his throat and further curling up around himself. He was supposed to be doing something here, but he's tired and sleepy and everything's heavy...]

[geometry]

[When he finally heard the little noises from the corner of the room that weren't coming from him, he was able to snap out of the trance that he always seemed to take in this floor. He could recognize the shape of the horns (he'd have to be an idiot not to), and so headed over immediately. You'd better bet your ass he's been worrying.]

Eridan?

...Eridan!

Jade popsicles are my favorite!

[iron_infidel]

[Signless wasn't one for visiting this floor, the idea of his world ending, his dream destroyed and his hope lost was not something he enjoyed thinking about. However, being that he was a traveler exploring the tower was something he enjoyed doing. It is only when he sees the jade blood upon the floor that he immediately switches to worrisome mode.

He runs towards the troll and drops to his level. The older troll is quick to remove his outer cloak and place it over the younger troll. A gentle hand is placed upon Eridan's shoulder and a calming nudge follows.]

Eridan sleeping here is not a wise choice. Are you alright?

[chronomancer]

[He doesn't actually react until the cloak's on him. The unfortunate implications of limiting his movements - ignoring the fact being half frozen was already limiting that - and the unexpected touch sent all his self-preservation instincts on high alert. Yes, he has self-preservation instincts. No, they don't do a very good job of it.

While he'd usually react with something like bashfulness or embarrassment about the show of concern, the only reaction possible right now is aggression. At least until he wakes up enough - or as much as he can, with the cold - to fall back into denial. As such, rather than words, Signless' good will is met with a sluggish attempt at a squirm and a warning growl as Eridan tries to move away from the touch.]

[iron_infidel]

[He keeps his hand present on the other's shoulder. Not taking the warning with seriousness and only wishes to keep his concern above all others. Such was his instinct. He gives a slight pat upon the trolls shoulder.]

Now hush, do not act that way.

[He understood the reaction, but he would be having none of it. Instinctual it was, until danger presented itself, he would remain as he was.]

[savedbyasong]

[While the clinic is quiet Shion has taken to going out and looking for people who could be sick. With this illness spreading like wildfire... Shion stopped to sneeze and reminded himself he was not allowed to get ill, as inevitable as that was with him looking after those who were sick all day... there were lots of people too week to even make it to the clinic or infirmary.

People like this troll... Shion hurried over, he knew he wasn't dead just because the retrieval units took dead bodies pretty much instantly. He reached out to put his hand on his shoulder.] Can you hear me?

[chronomancer]

[Eridan flinched and jerked awake at the touch, pulling away as he tried to reorient himself. It took a moment to gather what little wits he still had, before he looked at Shion with glassy, unfocused eyes.

His breathing slowed again, somewhat forced.

Right. Okay. He can do this. ...except he only registered a voice but didn't actually mind the words. Fuck words. Words are hard. So an inquisitive noise will have to do.]

[savedbyasong]

[Shion crouched down next to him, he couldn't stay here; he needed warmth. Ideally he needed warmth and hot food but the latter was almost an impossibility here.] My name is Shion, I'm going to try and help you stand, can you move your arms at all?

[thereisnopie]

[Gamzee is at the point where he's basically just stopped caring. Or at least he'd like to think he's at that point, since it's been what he's been aiming for since that last little chat he had with Karkat.

Even if what his "best friend" had said about him growing up troll was true, he was still taking the mindset that humans didn't need moirails. That made everything work out for the best, right? He had no indigo blood pumping through his veins to worry about. So why give a shit?

It's harder than he thought not to give a shit.

He finds himself in this room purely by chance, or perhaps because he needs something to look at for the time being that's darker than his own inner musings. The familiar figure curled up nearby is almost missed, but it's the horns that grab his attention.

Eridan, huh? Which one? Does it matter? If there's anyone he knows who's good at overshadowing others' problems with his own, it's this troll. Maybe that's just what he needs right now.

So, tact be damned, Gamzee finds himself taking a seat right up against the troll, leaning into him.]

Bro. Hey, bro. You awake?

[And if not, how quickly can that status be altered?]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan stirs as soon as Gamzee sits next to him, though it takes him a moment to wake up properly. The cold doesn't help, trying to drag him back into the stupor, but at the same time, he can't sleep with anyone sitting that close to him. He just can't. It's not Jade and it's not Equius and it's not Gamzee; he'd know if it were. But it isn't. The voice's familiar though. After a very long moment, he turns his face so his cheek is resting against his knees, and he can look at Gamzee, eyes open but a slit.]

Yeah.

[He's not actually answering the question. At least not the question he was asked. Instead he looks at the human a little blankly, a little not entirely there. He's tired and not really capable of pulling off the charade anymore and the anxiety about how much is leaking through and what he'll see is only making him slowly work himself into another rage. But he's not supposed to let it show. And he doesn't, mostly. Unless Gamzee notices the way he's clutching his ankles with his hands, claws sinking almost through the denim and into skin. It would be much better if he could just sink his claws in flesh. It's so relaxing, that, the feeling of skin breaking and the blood welling up in the welts and...

What was he talking about again? Oh right, nothing. Just. Staring at Gamzee with glassy eyes and a vacant expression. Yes. He could do that.]

[thereisnopie]

[It's not the Eridan he's used to, is it? No, the usual purple streak isn't there. That should have been a dead giveaway, but it was hard for him to notice when the troll was curled up as he was.

It doesn't matter which one it is, really.]

Kinda hanging out here all on your motherfuckin' lonesome, ain't you? I can chill with a bro if he wants; waste a few fuckin' minutes to get my chat on about whatever harshness has you down.

...Motherfuck, it's all kinds of cold. You should get something like one of those human bed wrappings to get all rolled up in.

[divinitysoiled]

[What... was that? Catarina was passing by, and stopped for a moment, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. The skin- the hair- the horns- She blinked for a moment, her mind fuzzy as her breath rasped slightly in her throat. What was that? What- it clicked. That was a troll. Hadn't she seen one like that before? She shook her head, trying to put things together. Her foot came out to nudge the lump of troll, wondering if it would move]

[chronomancer]

[The only reaction Catarina got was an annoyed-sounding grunt and a slight shuffle, but he nudge hadn't been enough to fully wake him up again, not when the cold was making him so sleepy and it felt so nice to just stop moving all together.]

[divinitysoiled]

[Well, whatever happened here, the troll was still alive. She nudged him again, harder]

It's not intelligent to sleep here like this.

[Whoa, was that her voice? So raspy and thick]

I'm not late noooo

[heavenscorpse]

[V/V finds him there and is immediately concerned.]

Eridan? I don't want you to freeze, please come away from there and somewhere warm.

[She waves a hand in front of his face, though not too close.]

Nope, you're not.

[chronomancer]

[He raises his head to look up at her, taking a moment between sleep and thoughts lazily melting into another in his head, to recognize her.]

Oh. I.

[He offers a wan smile.]

I'm alright.

[If your life goal is to be something sold in an icecream truck, maybe.]

v/v mun can feel better i'm even later

[hystericull]

[Despite the chaos and destruction it presented, this floor was not one of Gamzee's favorites. It brought back a lot of undecipherable emotions, of a time when he really didn't have any emotions to decipher. Not like his emotional selection wasn't stunted at best, now, but at least they were distinguishable from one another.]

[Nevermind that. There was a familiar, pathetic thing slumped nearby. It was eerie how each of the pathetic lumps in his life were so easily discernible. Jesus fuck, was it cold in this bitch, though. Maybe that lump was an uncollected corpse!? Did Eridan really kick his shit again so soon!? Ah well, if he was dead, the thing looked prime for looting. Could never have enough scarves and sunglasses.]

[Gamzee didn't want to spend too long on this frigid floor. He was beginning to come down with something, he thought. He was unusually warm, in a sticky, uncomfortable way - the way where the shivers still wracked your body with every breath, and his head was starting to play tricks on him that were different from the ones he was growing accustomed to.]

[As he stepped in front of the curled up Aquarius, he suddenly realized he had no idea what to say to see if this thing was still alive.]

[Before he could announce his presence verbally, a drop of snot from his running nose did it for him, landing on the floor with a splat.]

I just. I can't. I love you.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan jerked a little at that, before settling back in place, body rigid and not very cooperative with that whole, moving thing.

And he whined. Because that's the answer to all of the world's problems: whine like he's never whined before. Fuck everything, just whine.]