1) Shadow Eridan | Open

[hopelessprince]

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!]

Comments

[thekidsare0kay]

[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...

[hopelessprince]

[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.

[papshooshing]

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. ]

[thekidsare0kay]

[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]

[hopelessprince]

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.]

[papshooshing]

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?

[thekidsare0kay]

[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?

[hopelessprince]

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.

[papshooshing]

[ 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.

[thekidsare0kay]

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

We'll help you, ed...

[hopelessprince]

[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?

[papshooshing]

[ 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.

[thekidsare0kay]

[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.

[hopelessprince]

[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?

[papshooshing]

Coffins, Sollux. They're coffins. Fuck, man. We've been stuck with humans for how long? How is it that you don't know some of this shit?

[ sighs and just rolls his eyes. ]

Maybe the living come in through there and the dead arrive a la shadowy shit.

[thekidsare0kay]

No human'th ever mentioned coffinth around me, tho far. [He shrugs and squeezes Eridan's hand] Fuck thith ith worthe than being Thity dead, ithn't it? I hope we can fikth you.

[hopelessprince]

[Eridan cringes a little.]

That wwon't wwork. That doesn't wwork.

[papshooshing]

It's called a fucking library, Captor. Don't you read?

[ he takes a moment to rub at Eridan's arm. ]

What doesn't work?

[thekidsare0kay]

I'm thorry for not thpending time rethearching the contentth of a dictionary! [Eyeroll. Then he turns towards Eridan again, eyebrows drawing close in worry as he waits for an answer]

[hopelessprince]

[Eridan sighs deeply, looking put-upon and irritated.]

Hope.

[papshooshing]

[ Karkat opens his mouth to snap at Sollux, but his blood freezes at that one single word. hope. he swallows, realizing that this is dangerous ground being tread. ]

Eri, we're not exactly hoping. We fucking know this will get fixed. I promise.

[thekidsare0kay]

[Sollux groaned softly, then leaned in close. He nuzzled into Eridan's side fin]

You're not alone. Get hold of yourthelf, and trutht uth.

[hopelessprince]

Ok. ---k it ww--

[He grips both of their hands even tighter.]

Feels empty. I think I ended up holloww. Think I fell out a' my halvves. I'll trust you as long as you stay. Let's find out-- Let's fix--

[papshooshing]

[ that's better. as long as they can keep him with them and calm? this won't be a big thing. ]

We're not going anywhere, Eridan.

[ now he just picks a direction and just starts walking in a different direction. ]

[thekidsare0kay]

You're not hollow. [One last, slightly red nuzzle, and Sollux moves with Karkat, still holding Eridan's hand. He'll be glad to get away from that inky black pool of shadow]