001 ♋ Closed to ♒ & ♊

[papshooshing]

[ okay, so quite frankly they have been here for a few days and Karkat is no less irritated than what he had been before the start of this shit. the pile that he and Sollux had made in their room helps take the edge off of everything, but this is stupid. it's pretty apparent to Karkat that they are not stuck in the goddamn City anymore and that pisses him off as well. they are not some wigglers that can be -fied around by whatever fucking wants them next. they have things to do, missions to complete! Karkat has a responsibility back on the fucking meteor and goddamn it all if he's stuck trying to figure out some new place. this isn't fair. why do all of the universes have to shit on him? PICK SOMEONE ELSE.

another day of exploring and he has shit to offer. so Karkat comes back, still trying to figure out the biggest problem: fixing Eridan. he has been avoiding contact with any of the others in the castle until this problem can be resolved. Karkat doesn't want to run the risk of someone following him back and seeing Eridan. not like this. Eridan probably isn't doing too well either, being cooped up for long doses of time. but Karkat has an idea. he happens to have noticed something that would potentially make the sea dweller feel a little better. maybe. hopefully. ]

Hey, Captor. The shitty sea dweller needs a goddamn bath. He's starting to reek.

Comments

[thekidsare0kay]

Yeah, ageth ago he thaid I'd probably get tired of him when I wath an adult and he wath thtill thikth thweepth.

[Let Eridan explain it? Nah. He nuzzles into Eridan's neck and gives them both a squeeze, smirking at Karkat from that vantage point.]

Well, I'm not going to thtop hating you becauthe of it, tho I guethh it'th fine to me. I never liked you being dead, anyway. It wath thtupid and weird.

[hopelessprince]

[Eridan gives Sollux a dirty look that he can't see from his neck area, and then nods.] Wwell...there'd be no reason for you twwo to be interested in a six swweep old... You'vve gotta admit that. [He pauses.] Sometimes I think it wwould a' been easier if you'd died along wwith me in the City cos at least then I wwouldn't havve to lose you later on either.

[He shifts a bit.] Do you think this place makes any allowwances? I mean, Kar, howw long is a redblood gonna livve...? Fuck.

[Now he can't even think about being happy to be alive. Everything ever is ruined. Everything always.]

[papshooshing]

As my ancestor was murdered, gee I don't know. What the fuck does it matter how long I live or not? Shouldn't you be appreciative of the time you have instead of the time you don't? Whining about it only takes up MORE of that fucking precious time anyway.

[ and a squeeze for Eridan. because he can and bites his lip when looking at Sollux. they have Eridan back and all for the better, but now they have to deal with this side of him. ]</small.

[thekidsare0kay]

[Sollux rolls his eyes back at Karkat. Yeah, sometimes he does pity Eridan a bit too much, but then he does things like this and he feels comfortable hating him. Maybe it's worth wondering if there will be times Karkat waxes a little black for his fishy matesprit.

He straightens]

My pantth are fucking thoaked. Let'th get out of thith thtupid thpring.

[hopelessprince]

This's important, though, Kar, cos I do appreciate you but wwhat if you only livve 10 swweeps an' I livve hundreds a' swweeps?! Wwhat am I gonna do then? It's not fair that both a' you are gonna leavve me alone wwhen I'm only forty or somethin'! Wwhat am I supposed to do wwithout you?

[papshooshing]

[ he sighs, pulling away to take both of their hands. since Eridan is going to ignore Sollux, Karkat better not. Karkat will take them both out and away from the spring. ]

I'll live longer than that, shit head. Stop worrying about it.

[thekidsare0kay]

You'll probably have all kindth of thea dweller bitcheth by then, anyway, and you'll have forgotten all about uth.

[He isn't even sure if he means it, but whatever. He takes Karkat's hand and starts heading for the edge of the pool]

[hopelessprince]

Don't fuckin' mock me! A' course I'm not gonna find anyone else. I don't evven knoww howw I found YOU.

[He lets himself be led by Karkat, irritably.]

[papshooshing]

Not to sound like some sentimental sap, Eridan... But you DID kind of fucking win me over. I don't know about Captor over here, but...

[ yeap. that's kind of how things fell. ]

[thekidsare0kay]

Yeah, you've won me over, too, much ath I hate to admit it. It'th not jutht about FF and everything, now.

[Sollux side-eyes Eridan] Think about it, dumbathh. You've got two quadrantth now, and you and I have been together for quite a while. You have to admit that it'th been pretty good tho far, right?

[Just a tiny bit of doubt in that last word...]

[hopelessprince]

[Eridan hunches his shoulders as he squelches onto the shore, his shoes brimming with water.]

Yeah, but I don't WWANT anyone else as my quadrants. I mean, except the other ones. But I don't wwant to change either a' you.

[This is probably true. After all, Feferi was never really an option.]

[papshooshing]

Oh you don't know that. Fuck, we don't even know what's going to happen Eridan. If we get out of this, we could go back to the City. Then if it's really just that fucking important to you, make another deal.

[thekidsare0kay]

Yeah, that'th thweepth from now, fuck. Look at how much hath changed in lethh than a thweep already. Thtop obthethhing about thingth you don't know anything about, and enjoy what you have, like kk thaid, okay?

[Ugh, why did he do something so stupid? His pants are sticking to his legs and his shoes are squelching. Water is annoying]

[hopelessprince]

[Eridan is already dividing his expected lifespan into three in his head. Wait, no, better make it four, and put this off until he finds a moirail. Man, it is sure good he's going to stay in relationships with the same people he was in them with at 13.]

Fine! I wwill!

[When they reach the shore, he lets go of Karkat's hand to take off his cape, and start gently squeezing water out of it.]

[papshooshing]

[ well... Karkat is just going to stand there.

and drip. because he's not stripping down or taking off his now wet shirt. nope. ]

[thekidsare0kay]

[Sollux takes off his shoes, grimacing] Can't we head back to the rethpite block and change clotheth or thomething? I'm cold.

[hopelessprince]

[Eridan drapes his cape around his shoulders like an extra scarf.]

Wwe'd better go back before I ruin this completely. And if you twwo are cold, besides. I think I'vve got towwels in my sylladex.

[He takes out one to check. Apparently he does, and it's a big, royal, fluffy purple thing. He decides the best place for it is around Karkat's shoulders.]

[papshooshing]

[ welp. sure is a big fluffy towel around him. he is okay with this. ]

Do you even remember the way back, Ampora?

[ Karkat pauses, thinking of giving the towel to his moirail, but. but he can't, as much as he wants to. mostly because that might be a breech of the relationship between Eridan and Sollux. fuck, this is kind of hard to balance. ]

[thekidsare0kay]

[Sollux scowls as Eridan gives the towel to Karkat even if he was the one who said he was cold, and turns away to start heading back towards the room]

Boy, I sure did mithh you, ed.

[hopelessprince]

[Eridan hurries over to Sollux, leans in, and nips the back of his neck.]

Wwhen did you evven havve a fuckin' chance to miss me, are you kiddin'?

[papshooshing]

[ welp. the butt hurt attitudes around here certainly don't change. Karkat is staying out of this one and just going to keep marching towards the respiteblock. ]

[thekidsare0kay]

[Twitch. Ugh. He leans back against Eridan and shoves a bony elbow into his stomach]

You were a weird co-dependent shadow monthter for the latht few dayth, remember?

[hopelessprince]

Wwhat the hell is that supposed to mean? [Oof. He moves, and grabs Sollux's head to bite the side of one of his outside horns.]

It's fuckin' trial-worthy that I didn't wwant to leavve my quadrants on account a' I wwasn't feelin' wwell?

[papshooshing]

[ oh god. Karkat is not seeing this. nope. not seeing this at all. just going to keep facing forward, holy shit. ]

You were a fucking shadow creature, Eridan. Like an oozing shadow that would moan and groan and whatnot whenever one of us left you for any length of time.

[ just... just ignore what they're doing back there with their hate flirting, Karkat. ]

[thekidsare0kay]

[Sollux freezes at the bite and gives a little involuntary squeal, then tries to shove Eridan off - carefully, those are sharp teeth right on his sensitive horn]

You weren't yourthelf! We've been in a pile, all three of uth, for dayth without a break becauthe you couldn't deal with uth leaving you alone for ten thecondth.