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

[geometry]

...It's not as if I'm not.

[Hooray, self-deprecating "humor". But he removes his arms anyway.]

[chronomancer]

[The joke gets him a smile, even though Eridan misses those arms immediately. He really, really wants a hug, right now, but he's not sure if it's even okay to ask for one.]

I guess, yeah.

[So there he stands, veritable mountain of awkward that he is. Just. Sort of staring up at Equius with a mix of yearning and hesitation.]

[geometry]

...Is something wrong?

[He asks for the second time. Come on, Eridan, stop looking uncomfortable when he wants to hug you.]

[chronomancer]

...it's stupid.

[He squirms a little.]

[geometry]

What is it?

[Entering mama mode.]

[chronomancer]

I just.

[He shrugs.]

I always panic, when I wake up after dying.

[That he's died enough times to have a habit about it says it all, really.]

It's stupid and irrational, and you were busy and I'm sorry I interrupted you.

[geometry]

It's nothing I can't pick up later.

[He doesn't bother to ask if Eridan's okay now, because the answer will be no.]

There's no need to put the Tower's stupid floors over you. They'll always be here later.

[chronomancer]

...oh.

[Well then. Excuse him while his ears burn a little. He's embarrassed now.]

It's okay. I just. Have this thing. It's pretty dumb. Like I'm going to wake up and you or Jade'll be gone. Haha.

[This is the weakest laughter in the history of ever.]

Pretty silly, huh.

[It's really not.]

[geometry]

No. Not silly at all. [Look at where you live, Eridan. People disappear all the time!] But...

[Uh. What can he... say.]

[Not that it won't happen. Because he knows it might. It might.]

[There's really not much to say. So...]





...I'm sorry.

That you feel that way.

[... EQUIUS.]

[chronomancer]

Oh, Equius, please don't be.

[Eridan shrugs and raises his hands, almost placating. Hey, at least you got him to stop hugging himself and clawing holes into his elbow.]

It's not your fault.

[geometry]

[Oh fuck you, Eridan Ampora, you raised your hands up. You were asking for it.]

[Hugging is go.]

[chronomancer]

[Oh. Well then. Eridan makes a small sound in the back of his throat, resisting for a moment before he leaned into the hug and pretty much just melted into a puddle of clingy troll.]

[geometry]

[And then the two of them melted on top of each other and it was kind of gross but whatever.]

I really, really don't want you to be scared. Of anything. Of losing anyone. [Being scared is a horrible thing to be, and it's his job.] I don't, and I'm sorry... that's what I meant before, when I said I'm sorry. I can't promise I'll never leave, because it's out of my control. And I'm sorry about that. But as long as I am here...

[What is finishing sentences, and how does he do it?]

[chronomancer]

[He whimpered in reply, tightening his hold onto Equius and burying his face deeply into the safety of his chest.

And if Equius felt his shirt get damp, well. That. Kind of. Just happened sometimes.]