011 ♐ it's easy living in the house of your dreams ♐ ᴏᴘᴇɴ

[geometry]

Characters: Equius Zahhak (AU) and YOU
Setting: Floor 70, the machine.
Format: Starting in action, but I'll do whatever.
Summary: Equius gets his geek on in the worst conceivable way.
Warnings: Possible crushing, burning, or acid corrosion. YAY SCIENCE!


[...Wow.]

[There was no telling how big this floor was. The walls and ceiling were nowhere in sight, because they were completely covered by a massive breathing machine. There was a faint tinge of rust in the air here, and the outer reaches were further obscured by smoke of various colours. Metal parts clunked and ground against one another, making extremely unattractive noises as they did so. A truly staggering amount of the mechanisms here were burned or dented (or maybe they were supposed to be that way, since they were unfamiliar), but they all seemed to be working together towards... something that wasn't immediately clear. There had to be a million different platforms all around the place, but most of them were conveyor belts, carrying scraps of some kind of metal into a huge boiling vat of liquid that sizzled when something dropped in.]

[It was beautiful.]

[Not much to see here, Tower; just a troll, standing next to the staircase, gawking in amazement at the monstrosity in front of him. Judging from the oil streaks that have long since dried on this particular pair of pants, he could feel perfectly at home here... if he got an opportunity to look around. Right now, it's all unfamiliar. And way too big. All Equius can do for quite a long time is stand there and gawk. What could this thing be for?]

[He seems to want to find out, as shortly afterward he's examining the closer and less dangerous metallic innards. And then the slightly further metallic innards. And eventually he's crawling and jumping all over the place, still in view of the staircase, but observing mechanisms that could crush a hand and balancing on things that really ought not to be balanced on, all in the interest of getting just a little closer to that peculiar piece of machinery. It's just so interesting. He seems to be doing pretty well now; one of Equius' few talents is coordination and nimble movement. But who knows how long that'll last if someone startles him...]

Comments

[chronomancer]

[Eridan let out a strangled hoot of laughter at that, before he swallowed it back and started biting his lips nervously.]

...sort of, yeah. Sorry.

[geometry]

S'alright. [He looks off to the side somewhere.] It... yeah.

[They both remember Adulterystuck, right? Yes? Just checking.]

[chronomancer]

[Yeeeeeeah, we do remember that, though Eridan is endeavoring to not remember it because his past self is. Was. Will be. ...just. Purely undiluted asshole.]

I. Uh.

[This is the tone of voice that says he fucked up and doesn't know how to own up to it. Whoops.]

[geometry]

[That could easily be interpreted as just a general awkwardness "I uh", Eridan. You need to learn to be more specific.]

[Still, he doesn't like that tone of voice, and the fact that he comes back to look at Eridan again shows it.]

[chronomancer]

...so last. Time something like this happened. You got mad at me 'cause I didn't tell you. So. Here I am. Telling you. Even though it's kind of dumb.

[Sorry back to worrying that shirt with his claws.]

...I. Uh. Kind of died? Yesterday. I mean. I think. And. Uh. Yeah.

[geometry]

[aaaaaAAAAAAAAAnd that distance between them gets closed fast. Real fast. God damn. Equius is promptly very close to him, and maybe fretting a little bit because hE DIED, ERIDAN DIED, HOW DID HE NOT KNOW THIS?]

What?!

[Commence the fussing.]

Oh god. Oh god! What happened? Why?

[chronomancer]

[Eridan flinches at the question, sort of making himself really damn small in the time it takes Equius to get there. He raises his hands placatingly, wincing for all he's worth.]

It's... it's okay. It wasn't a big deal, really. Just. A dumb mistake. That's all. Just. No big deal, honest. I'm fine.

[He's really not, but it has nothing to do with him dying.]

[geometry]

[Equius stops the fussing for a moment, just long enough to look into Eridan's eyes with the kind of look that suggests he needs to know. Or else things are going to get altogether unattractive. And nobody here wants that.]

[And then he gets going again.]

It's not a small thing, Eridan, you died! What happened?!

[chronomancer]

[He shrinks back, some more, wilting under that look and desperately wishing for his sunglasses to hide behind.]

It wasn't... it was just dumb. Karkat and I got lost in the desert floor.

[geometry]

[...Ampora.]

[He stares for a while, and then supposes hey -- he got his answer. So just gonna. Back up. A little.]

I'm sorry.

[And then:]





...for, uh. That. Everything.

[That everything. Okay, dude.]

[chronomancer]

It's okay.

[It's really not.]

I just.

[He waved his hands a little, trying to figure out the right words for it.]

I'm trying.

[Honest. He is. He swears.]

[geometry]

You are.

[Not very hard, or so it seems sometimes, but Equius gives him the benefit of the doubt because he's Equius.]

Yeah, I...

[That whole thing was just Bad and he doesn't know how he feels about it. So he lets that sentence die.]

[chronomancer]

I'm sorry.

[He does actually sound sorry, for a change, almost like the words mean something and are not just another knee-jerk, meaningless platitude he likes to sprout out without thinking.]

You... are probably still angry at me, and that's okay. I fucked up and I keep fucking up but I'm. I'm not trying to weasel out of it, honest. I just. I figured it'd be another fuck up if you found out before I told you...?

[He sounds unsure there, like the concept doesn't quite stick to his brain, and it kind of doesn't because it goes against pretty much everything he is and has been and has made himself to be.]

So. Yeah.

[A w k w a r d.]

[geometry]

I-it's alright. The... the Tower happens, right?

[All he can really think to say on this topic. The Tower happens. Everyone dies in unattractive ways and it's just kind of another thing that they tolerate by now. Sure, he would have liked it if Eridan didn't die, but it's a desert. A Tower desert, which makes it ten times worse than a regular desert. So he can understand, and as we all know, understanding something makes it a lot harder to dismiss offhand.]

[Most of the time.]

Thanks for telling me.

I know that must be... hard.

[Y e a h.]

[chronomancer]

[The Tower happens. Yeah, it happens a lot. Eridan shrugs uncomfortably, hands hanging listlessly at his sides, not sure what to do with them.]

Yeah, it does.

[He looked at his feet, absently kicking the tip of one into the floor, not sure how to answer to that.]

I just... hate telling people about this kind of thing.

[It's uncomfortable and whiny and shit. And it doesn't fix anything, okay. What's the point? >|]

[geometry]

It's not your fault...

[For all Equius is unreasonable about his own problems, when it comes to everyone else? OH WELL SURE THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR except not.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan flinched.]

...I think we both know it kinda is.

[Excuse him while he absently starts scratching an elbow. Nervous tics, man, how do you even manage them.]

[geometry]

It's... really not.

[He wouldn't have died if the Tower admins weren't asshats. That's all it is.]

[Also, why are you asking him, of all people?]

[chronomancer]

[...because his options are you, Jade and Gamzee.

Eridan shrugs a little helplessly.]

It was a pretty stupid way to die. Pretty ironic, I guess, except you know irony ain't my shtick. So. Yeah.

[He deflated a little, not sure what else to say.]

[geometry]

[That is an understandable reason.]

...Still doesn't mean it's your fault.

[chronomancer]

You'd still think I'd know better.

[He seems more embarrassed than upset, about the dying thing. At least about this one.]

[geometry]

[Le shrug.]

You've... been here for a while. It wasn't as immediate in your memory, that's all.

[chronomancer]

Eh, it's actually less that and more knowing it was a bad idea heading in there. Wasn't really what you'd expect of a desert back home, I guess.

[Gonna just. Quietly take the blame for this and not mention Karkat at all.]

[geometry]

I understand. [He does. One would think that a desert is too simple for the Tower to fuck up, but as usual, they would be hilariously wrong.]

...So, uh... [Equius backs up a bit, as if he's only just now realized that he's been hovering dangerously close to Eridan this entire time. There could be a fire or something. Yeah. Uh.] ...I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. [This is too awkward. He doesn't want to deal with being awkward! He just wants to go back to feeling normal again! Is that so hard? ...Yes, apparently, because his way of going back to this state is by apologizing.]

[chronomancer]

[Eridan looks up at Equius - if he were still wearing sunglasses, he'd be looking at him over the rim, and the gesture is so ingrained that he still does it, even without actual shades in the way - and boy sure is nice he doesn't have to look up four fucking feet, huh? He offered a very small, very shy smile.]

You don't really have anything to apologize for, honest.