[OPEN/CLOSED] A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes

[chronomancer]

Characters: [AU1] Eridan Ampora, [AU1] Equius Zahhak and YOU!
Setting: First dormitory floor showers [CLOSED to Equius], Forest floor.
Format: Action, but I'll match you.
Summary: Eridan emerges from a month of hermithood with the firm conviction that he's not gonna fuck shit up again and the certain knowledge that he's definitely going to fuck shit up again.
Warnings: Sad, stupid boys being sad and stupid and maybe angry, too. Standard Eridan warnings apply: make him angry and he'll shoot you in the head.

[Showers]

[The one thing... one of the things Eridan really liked about the Tower - for some values of "like" anyway, was the free access to water and the showers. The showers were nice. Helped one think and keep thoughts in order, or at least put those thoughts in some semblance of order, anyway. It was relaxing, was what he was getting at. And for the past month, he'd worked very hard to relax.

He'd also spent most of the past month murdering things and avoiding people, out of fear of what he could do to them if he didn't. Which meant a lot of showers to get rid of grit and grime and monster innards at the end of the day, even if the day wasn't the real day he was supposed to be in. He was tired though. He was tired of running away and trying to purge the violence only made him realize the pit in the back of his mind was deeper than he originally thought, because he just didn't run out of will to kill shit. He didn't stop feeling angry. He can't hide away forever though. Can he?

Of course he can't, that'd be stupid.

So now there he is, muttering to himself - hot words being Equius, sorry, care and sorry - as he towels himself dry and starts getting dressed. He really... needs to talk to Equius, doesn't he? He does. He owes him an apology for snapping at him like that. An apology for a lot of things, really. Since there really doesn't seem to be much activity around this time, Eridan walks out of the stall shirtless and toweling his hair, wanting to use the mirror by the sinks to study a gash on his back that he got about a week ago. He's not expecting anyone else to be around, clearly, it shows on his posture.]

[Forest floor]

[If you're walking about the forest floor, you might notice a long, long grey scarf hanging from a tree about eye level. And if you follow it up, you'll find a taciturn troll sprawled on a branch with a riffle on his lap and a bunch of carrots. That's he's eating. Raw. Just chilling out there, occasionally flicking a bit of carrot at a squirrelly forest creature. No biggie.

Eridan's taking babysteps to relearn this whole social interaction thing, okay. Baby steps. Someone knock him off the stupid tree, please.]

Comments

Forest

[wweh]

[Well, Eridan wasn't one for the forest, that's for sure. He's swatting away insects and shooing away any critters that are around him. Fuck land. Fuck land dwellers.]

What the fuck do you find so appealin' about this place?

[chronomancer]

Mmm?

[Eridan shifts in his perch, looking down at his alternate self a little blankly.]

I like greenery. And it's more quiet than the meadow.

[wweh]

Quiet? There's things buzzin' in my ear an a million things chitterin' how do you even THINK. Personally I'd take the ocean any day a' the week.

[and the moment finally settles in that he hasn't seen him in awhile. He should at least try and ask him how he's been.]

Haven't seen you around recently.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan shrugged, folding up a leg up to his chest, still balancing the rifle and his food.]

I'm good at not being around when I want to be.

[And then, almost by reflex.]

Sorry.

[wweh]

So you mean to tell me you fuckin' like being alone? That's a total crock a' bullshit. Also, why are you apologizn' that's the last thing you should be doin'.

Forest

[divinitysoiled]

[Okay what. Is. That. Catarina followed the scarf up to where Eridan was sitting, chuckling to herself as she remembered him]

Well. Hello again.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan narrows his eyes a little at her, shifting his posture just an inch. He's uncomfortable. You don't understand how uncomfortable he is right now. He remembers bits and pieces of the whole episode, but nothing coherent. Feelings and impressions and half-formed memories of violence that make his stomach twist unpleasantly. He remembers being angry at her. Angry enough to kill. But he can't remember why. So he can't remember if he should apologize, or abscond.]

Hello.

[divinitysoiled]

You're looking warmer. Or at least, more in control of yourself. [Catarina crossed her arms, looking up at him]

[chronomancer]

Am I?

[Yeah, we're back to deadpan land of bottomless deadpan. But hey, it's better than the aimless rage, right?]

I suppose so.

[geometry]

[Equius was still having a bit of trouble coping with the idea that he could actually navigate the Tower on his own again. The fact that this is a thing he was having trouble with was probably concerning in its own right, but then again, everything else about the Tower was concerning in its own right, so why not. After several weeks, a month, he doesn’t know of being either confined to his room or staggering around making a fool of himself, the silence and stillness was truly amazing. He’d spent a long time just walking around, enjoying the simple fact that he could, spearing whatever he came across with an arrow for their daring to interrupt his personal time. The fact that this brought him an awful lot closer in disposition to a jadeblood who shall not be named never crossed his mind – or if it did, he expelled it swiftly.]

[That time was over now. He was back to something resembling a normal pattern, and something resembling an Equius-like mindset, except for the arrows. And naturally, with an Equius-like mindset comes an Equius-like obsession with cleanliness in all forms, so it was back to the bathrooms and showers and other places where people shouldn’t be as interested in going as he was. Except instead of running all over the place doing maid’s work, he actually had to use them.]

[Like hell was he going to take off even a shirt in the common areas of the showers, though. And he’s still keeping his eyes on the floor out of habit. They were disgusting, but as a general rule, floors tended to be more uniform colors than walls and furniture. He was just minding his own business. In fact, he might have gotten out of that room unscathed… if he didn’t happen to walk right through the view of Eridan’s nearest mirror.]

[Since he had done that, he was pretty much screwed.]

[chronomancer]

[When Eridan sees Equius, all blood flees from his face. Since he's also twisted in a vaguely anatomically impossible way to see how that gash is coming along, he also loses his balance and falls flat on his face with a hissed curse, trying and failing to grab onto the sink to stop the fall.

It's pretty hilarious, all things considered, but neither of them seems particularly impressed with the display.

Eridan winces as he picks himself up a little, though not quite back to his feet, crouching in an unintentionally defensive posture. Scared? No, the word would be terrified. He's not ready for this. Let him tell you how much he's not ready for this.]

[geometry]

[The monstrous clatter was enough to snap Equius out of his pointless vow to see nothing but the floor of the shower room. And when he looked up, he realized too late what had just happened – at that point, there was nothing he could have possibly done except cling to the wall and stare in a remarkably similar fit of horror. Eridan on the floor, crouched like an animal; Equius in the corner, making like wallpaper. It was really quite a telling image. And if the jadeblood had any intention on speaking, then he could go ahead and speak, because Equius certainly wasn’t going to do any talking.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan opens his mouth to say something, anything, and that little practiced speech vanishes into ether. He closes his mouth with a shaky little breath, swallowing hard. No more running away, right? Right. Time to put his money where his mouth is. He licks his lips and slowly, very slowly, he stands up, still slouching somewhat. His arms fold in front of him almost of their own accord. And then his eyes drop to the floor.]

...I'm sorry.

[Forest]

[starofpleiades]

[Kazumi has taken a bit more to wandering off alone, quietly. Contemplating her new existence, and everything it meant. It didn't feel different... but everything felt different.

In any case, she wasn't expecting to meet anyone else out here, much less run into a scarf. Backing up with a little squeak, she looks up to see where it's hanging from, and spots a familiar troll]

Ah, Eridan! I haven't seen you in a while.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan startles a little, before looking down. It takes him a moment before he blinks and offers a small, wry smile.]

Kazumi. Yeah, it has been a while.

[starofpleiades]

How have you been? I hope you weren't sick last month...

[Guess who was...]

[chronomancer]

[He chuckled a little at that, but it didn't sound like he was amused.]

Nah.

[He's been sick for a while longer than last month, hasn't he? Probably since the day he hatched, and he's just noticing now.]

I've been... fine. Kinda. And you?

[savedbyasong]

[Shion was on the forest floor, though nothing grew in the depths of winter he was enjoying walking through the still snowy forest. He spotted the scarf and looked up, to see the boy who had chased him away a few weeks ago.]

Are you feeling better?

[chronomancer]

[Eridan flinched at the question, seemingly trying to become one with the tree. The tree was his friend, it didn't judge him.]

...in a manner of speaking, yeah.

[And then.]

...I'm sorry. About. You know.

[savedbyasong]

[Nor did Shion, this kid killed the person who had practically become a big brother to him in the tower a couple of weeks ago, he is in no position to judge anyone.]

Don't be. You weren't yourself.

[chronomancer]

That is not an excuse.

[He sounds severe, but the severity is always reserved for himself.]

You were just trying to help.

forest of courest

[glowsferatu]

[ a hanging scarf isn't something that belongs on a alk through the greenery. no one would disagree with this.

kanaya had been exploring a few of the floors below, against equius' advice perhaps, but it's hard to be worried for your safety when you're undead. this floor had caught her eye for obvious reasons, not only due to the fact that seeing such a lively environment in the middle of such an otherwise bleak tower was a bit jarring, but that the trees partly reminded her of her oasis hive, though it probably resembled loraf more closely.

she'd been idly wandering about and enjoying it despite herself when she encountered the offending garment. while trying to discern its elusive deal, she managed to look in every direction but up to determine its origins. maybe someone had lost it? maybe she should find them. either way, it probably wouldn't do to leave it here.

she gives the scarf a firm tug in hopes of pulling it down. ]

[chronomancer]

Grubfucking hell!

[He'd been too busy staring at nothing in particular to notice Kanaya. Ergo, when she pulled, he fell. Right on top of her. He only managed to twist onto his back, holding onto the rifle for his dear life.]

[glowsferatu]

[ oh well what do you know there was someone attached to that scarf. ]

Shit.

[ her glow flares as she goes down like a lump of lead with a bag of potatoes on top of it, struggling and panicking underneath him. ]

[chronomancer]

What's the fucking bright... idea?

[Eridan blinks at her, anger stopped short by sheer surprise.]

Kan?

[That's a little too painfully hopeful a tone, for a first meeting, isn't it.]