castleinthemist | 1) Shadow Eridan

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1) Shadow Eridan | Open

Something wakes up. Something attains literal consciousness but not figurative consciousness.

A shade walks the tightrope between sentient and mindless shadow, and pools into being out of a portal.

It looks an awful lot like a dark, monochromatic version of one Eridan Ampora.

All it knows is that it feels unsettled. It remembers horns, and grey faces, and a chainsaw. And then fish, for some reason.

Something is wrong and it can't work out what it is.

[ooc: Eridan is a shadow monster! He's going to be trying to pull people into shadowy pits if he can stop being self-absorbed for a second. Feel free to try and interact with him!]

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[Sollux senses that something is definitely wrong as Eridan breaks into a run. He's always been more paranoid about Eridan than was probably warranted, but it was understandable.

He throws himself between Eridan and Karkat with a snarl, and rips his glasses off, catching Eridan with his powers and throwing him back several feet]

What the fuck, athhhole?! Thith ith your fucking matethprit!

[ well. it's a good thing that Karkat is a paranoid worry wart. really, even with his sickle in hand what's he going to do? hurt Eridan? ha ha. yeah right. so there's a mix of relief when Sollux jumps in mixed right along with fear. ]

He probably can tell the fucking difference right now, Sollux. Take it easy!

[Eridan hisses as he's thrown back, the sound muffled like it's coming from inside a radio. He scrambles jerkily back to his feet and lunges at them again. His outline is starting to jitter, shaking in and out of formlessness and Eridan-shaped.]

That ith not Eridan! [Sollux is snarling, defensive of his moirail. He's also shocked by the way Eridan is flickering in and out like that.] It'th a fucking fake that jutht thoundth like him!

One way to find out. Can you hold him there instead of fucking tossing him around for a second?

[ Karkat has an idea. It's probably stupid, but he has to try. ]

Yeah, yeah of courthe.

[He raises his hand and grabs Eridan with his powers, wrapping his power around him and holding without hurting]

[He flails, trying to push against the psionic restraints.]

If it--

Wwhat you wwere--

Fuckin' pissblooded--

You aren't--

[Everything else is too distorted and garbled to hear.]

[ Karkat watches, waiting for Sollux to get a good grip on Eridan. then he gives his moirail a gentle touch to the face and an apologetic look.

yes, he is marching right up to that shadow beast. hands go to where cheeks should be. ]

Eridan. Man, if you're really in there, you got to let us fucking know. You're scaring us and that says something, okay? We don't want to leave you behind. All we want to do is fix this, whatever it is, so that all three of us can be together like before, you idiot.

Please, just work with us.

[Sollux is confident enough in his own abilities that he's not too worried about Karkat. But he's still worried. He is cautious with his hold, trying to keep it from hurting, not wanting to panic Eridan any more than he already has - if it is Eridan.

He watches closely, saying nothing. This is a job for someone Eridan pities, that's for sure]

[Eridan bares his teeth and snarls, and then abruptly goes really quiet and still, staring at Karkat.]

Kar.

[And then he tries to sit down again, only it doesn't work because he's being held in place by Sollux's psionics. It manifests as slumping instead.]

[ he pets Eridan, features smoothing out from his usual scowl. ]

Yeah, it's me. You okay in there?

[ and Karkat just presses his forehead against Eridan's, trying to convey all his worried feels. ]

[Okay, now Sollux is a bit tense. He grits his teeth and gets ready to restrain Eridan more if he tries to bite. Karkat is just too close, and he can't immobilize every part of the creature at once without suffocating him or accidentally crushing him]

KK...

[Eridan is suddenly desperate. He looks towards the pit and tries to move his hand to tug on Karkat's sleeve. Only he can't, of course. He just looks between Karkat and the pit a couple of times.]

Kar, I'm dead. .....t do I d--? --wwant to fa-- --lf.

Sollux.

[ it's a warning tone. he knows, Sollux. Karkat knows you're just looking out for him, but dammit. let him work. he goes back to stroking Eridan's cheek, shooshing. ]

I can't make out half of that. Eridan... I need you, okay? We don't know what that dark shit over there will do, but we can't go there. What I do know is that I really, really fucking need you to stay with me. I can't leave my matesprit to this shit. But the only way that this can be fixed is if you stay with me.

[ sorry, Sollux. he doesn't mean to leave you out. he's only trying to reach Eridan. ]

Edited 2012-01-17 06:42 (UTC)

[Sollux swallows and clenches his hands into fists, his claws biting into his palms. It's not that he feels left out. He doesn't want to lose his kismesis, and he knows he can't do anything to help. But he also doesn't want to lose his moirail if this isn't really Eridan, or if Karkat can't reach him.

He doesn't want to interfere, though, so he says nothing further. He just watches closely, in case Eridan tries to strike]

Later?

[He nuzzles his shadowy forehead slightly against Karkat's.]

You NEED me?

[His edges stop jittering, finally.]

I'll stay. Wwhere is stay?

[...okay, well, he's not QUITE himself again, yet.]

Later.

[ he has no intentions of going into what looks like a fucking blackhole, but whatever it takes for Eridan to calm down. Karkat is sure this is Eridan. yes, yes he is. a little smile appears on his face, briefly, with the nuzzling. danger, for now, is passed. ]

Yeah, I need you, dumbass. I'm your matesprit, remember? Just walk with us while we look around, all right?

[ just going to give another nuzzle before pulling back enough to look at Sollux. ]

You okay too?

[Sollux can't quite believe Eridan calmed down. He's still not quite himself. He much less himself than he ever was, even though he had always been dead in the City.

The yellow-blood nods]

I'm fine, kk. Should... can I let him go now?

Needs.

[Eridan's expression is not only difficult to make out, it's a bit vague as is. He stares at Karkat, switches to looking at Sollux, and then back to Karkat again.]

Needs.

[ he gives Eridan a few more soothing face touches before pulling back to just take the guy's hand. ]

I think it's all right, Captor.

[Sollux nods and gently releases Eridan, watching closely as he also approaches.]

We'll help you, ed...

[Eridan grips Karkat's hand, and nearly falls down when Sollux releases him. He'd been slumping into the psionics.]

Do...

Where are we going?

[ Karkat gives Eridan's hand a squeeze, closing the distance between them and Sollux. everything is going to be all right. it has to. it just has to. ]

We're going to look around. This place can't be the fucking City, so we need to find someone that resides here or some shit.

[Sollux reaches them and reaches out, taking Eridan's other hand. He probably looks like he's pitying Eridan, but mostly he just doesn't want to make things worse or provoke violence. Not right in front of Karkat, especially.]

Do you remember getting here? We were in thome kind of thtone boktheth and there were a lot of humanth around.

[What a weird question. Eridan squeezes Sollux's hand anyway.]

No. I wwasn't. Only there.

[He gestures vaguely at the shadowy pit with the hand holding Sollux's. He's ok. Nobody's leaving him. They've got him. It's ok.]

Wwho livves here?

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