[Open] If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman...?

[chronomancer]

Characters: Eridan and YOU!
Setting: Room 1-10, showers, cafeteria, anywhere you want.
Format: Starting with Action, I'll match you.
Summary: Eridan finds himself back in the Tower after an extended absence. This wouldn't be so bad if he weren't currently very much shithive maggots and trying desperately to keep a lid on it. Please excuse the jumpy, nervous wreck, he swears he's trying not to murder anyone.
Warnings: Eridan's erratic behavior, lots of F-clusterbombs and potential murder if startled too hard.

Room 1-10

[The elusive fourth inhabitant of the room is finally back! You can tell because there's a person-shaped lump under the covers of his bed and a quiet chant of "oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck" echoing from the depths. Eridan is back, and this would be amazing if it weren't for the fact he's going through a slow-mo murderous meltdown.

Goddammit, Tower, he was almost done murdering himself!

Approach with caution. Or don't! Hilarity will ensue, since he doesn't have a weapon at hand. Yet.]

Bathroom.

[He looks disgusting. He kind of feels disgusting, too. After escaping his room with most of his sanity intact, Eridan sneaked about to get some necessary supplies and went about making himself vaguely presentable. That's why he's freshly showered - so freshly showered, his clothes are sticking to him since he's pretty dampstill - and trying his best to trim his hair into an acceptable length again. Also trying to salvage his claws with a file. They're kind of brittle and splintered, but at least they're not caked in jade blood anymore. That's always a plus.

Ignore the gun and the shovel within arms reach, someone is extremely jumpy right now.]

Cafeteria.

[Having made sure he doesn't look like a hobo - just mostly half starved and twitchy like a chihuahua after a close experience with NY traffic - Eridan gives in to the fact his insides are halfway through digesting themselves and inches his way into the cafeteria. He's trying really hard to go unnoticed, head tucked between his shoulders and eyes avoiding most people. Definitely not the most inviting of postures, but he can't help it. He's seated in a corner, all by himself, and spending as much time eating as he's looking nervously around the room. Without the sunglasses you can really see how jittery the eye movement really is.

Again, please ignore the shovel and the gun within easy reach, it's not like he's gonna shoot anyone or anything.

Hahaha.

...oh god.]

Anywhere.

[After a good meal, Eridan considers sneaking back to his room and hiding away until the circus in his head is over. On the other hand, he should really check out if there have been any changes in the tower - of course they've been, there always are - and maybe he'll be lucky enough to not run into anyone while he makes his way up the stairs.

That's totally a thing that'd happen, right?

...right?

Oh god, he's gonna get killed. Or worse.]

Comments

[caliginous]

[Karkat flings the bar of soap in his hand at the sink in front of Eridan. He doesn't argue though -- he feels like shit, he's sure he looks like it.]

[chronomancer]

[He nods a bit to himself. And then.]

...do you want a haircut?

[caliginous]

You are not coming anywhere near me with any metal hair sheering devices.

[chronomancer]

[A shrug. Did you miss the shrugs, Kar?]

's okay. Just offering.

[And now he's back to snip-snip.]

[caliginous]

[He didn't miss you at all, you self-serving grub-fucking douchebag. His fangs clench for a moment before he settles down. Anger, he doesn't have time for that. There's too much going on in the Tower right now and its been hard enough to stay perfectly sane for himself after he had been subjected to being a puppet for the admins.]

When are you gonna give up the act?

[chronomancer]

Huh?

[Eridan paused mid-snip, looking back at Karkat somewhat uncomprehendingly.]

What act?

[caliginous]

The act of pretending not to give a shit and that everything is fine.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan giggled. Honest to god, high-pitched giggling.]

Til I'm done wanting to murder everyone and burn this fucking tower to the ground?

[caliginous]

[Karkat pinches his eyebrows.]

Are you planning on cutting that shit out on your own?

[chronomancer]

It... goes away?

[A shrug.]

After a while. Just. Gotta keep chill til then.

[Avoid murdering someone, he means.]

[caliginous]

No it doesn't.

[He turns away from Eridan after picking up his belongings. If he's going to be here to talk to this asshole, he's getting dressed.]

Still, I figured I'd ask. You didn't kill me a few minutes ago, seemed relevant.

[chronomancer]

[He snorts, putting down the scissors and then shoving his head under the faucet, wetting his hair again and wiping off most of the left over hair.]

In case you haven't noticed,

[Eridan went about toweling his hair furiously, and squinting at the mirror, not sure if he'd cut it enough or not.]

I don't want to kill you.

[caliginous]

[There's a long pause of nothing from Karkat. Its impossible for him to not notice, being an empath. But he's not going to comment on it either way. As per usual Vantas fashion, he's going to ignore any and all comments pertaining to his leanings on his own quadrants and other romantic dealings.]

You're gonna have to get that under control at some point.

[He speaks even as he disappears, only popping back out again after combing a hand through his hair, eyes sliding open tiredly. Its too long, but he's not dealing with that now.]

You know I can help get it over with.

[chronomancer]

Help with what?

[Sorry, he went off on a mental tangent and got lost somewhere. On the upside, the mental tangent is over now. It was a murderous one. Sorry.]

[caliginous]

Sweet nookchaffing fuck, Eridan!

[This will be Karkat stalking over and grabbing you by the shoulders to turn you to look at him and his twitching eightfold eye.]

Focus. I'm trying to help you for a change. Don't make me sit here and regurgitate everything I just said five more times until it gets through your thick pan and sinks into your pickled spongelobe.

1/???

[chronomancer]

[The moment Karkat grabs him, Eridan tenses. But when he starts yelling, he instinctively throws a hand out, barely stopping before he claws Karkat's face, snarling like a caged animal.]

[chronomancer]

[...okay.]

[chronomancer]

[Wow.]

[chronomancer]

[Hang on.]

[chronomancer]

[Deep breaths now.]

[chronomancer]

[He pulls back a little, taking a few shuddering breaths.]

...let's not do that again. Yes.

DONE

[chronomancer]

...sorry.

[caliginous]

[Karkat instinctively recoils when Eridan goes to attack him, but he doesn't let go. Not to say he isn't scared, he's always fucking scared now, but he's not backing down if he can help it. The assertion that he shouldn't do it again only makes his grip tighten more.]

Stop apologizing before I knock your fangs out. What the hell is it going to take to get you to stop losing your shit every time something falls out of place?!

[Does he need to beat Jade up, he'll do it.]

[chronomancer]

I'm trying to not get angry!

[Except he's been angry for a while now, sorry.]

[caliginous]

Ok, and then what happens when you inevitably snap? Who are you going to take it out on?

["Innocent people" is his guess. People who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's actually pretty angry too, but he's much better at keeping murderous urges in check, so he'll focus on Eridan. He's not letting go of your shoulders, buddy.]

Its not enough to just...shove it away, Eridan.