.001 ♒ chronicAugustus began pestering...? [TEXT]

[chronomancer]

i think this is a stupid thing to ask
but i cant think a any other wway to phrase it
so

wwhat are wwe evven Supposed To Do here?
just
not get culled by monsters at night an eat wwhatevver they feed us an just
survvivve





thats it?


[...someone is not taking well to being "aimless". Help? Also, if you want to run into him he's in the Network terminal closest to 1-10. I'm cool with action tags.]

Comments

[tortileghostwriter]

This is not about me. Don't fucking start.

[ERIDAN....]

[chronomancer]

...I think it should be.

[...unsureface.jpg]

I really think it should be. You're not bein vvery rational about this.

[tortileghostwriter]

And you, you egregious fuckwad, are refusing to tell me something that by all appearances affects the safety of myself and my friends. I will not let all of this restart again, or worse, just so you might...

[deep breaths. also just going to not touch that last statement if he asks. it's a moment before he speaks again.]

Just.

This is important, Eridan.

As I recall you've been very inclined to blather at me about things that you claim to be important, and now here I am, attempting to listen.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan stares a moment before he sighs, passing air through his teeth. He shakes his head and stands up, leaving the terminal behind. He starts walking down the corridor, back to their shared room.

Without a word. Because you know what, they're not having a screaming match in the hall. They're just not.]

[tortileghostwriter]

[Fine. Then they can have this out in their room, because he's sure as hell not going to just leave this.]

[chronomancer]

[Of course he won't, that'd almost be like giving Eridan a break, and we've firmly established that's not allowed. He casts one last look over his shoulder before entering the room and going to sit on his bed, shoulders slumped down somewhat.]

So. Important things, huh.

[tortileghostwriter]

Yes.

[eyes narrowed. SEE HOW THOSE EYEBROWS ARE GOING DOWN ANGRILY THAT MEANS THIS CONVERSATION IS INCREDIBLY SERIOUS.]

[chronomancer]

[So fine. We're doing this. Fine.]

What's the last conversation we had, from your perspective?

[tortileghostwriter]

I blew up your computer.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan snorted.]

Ah yes, that. It's been hours since that.

[tortileghostwriter]

[Eyeroll.]

As it has from my perspective.

I've learned some rather maddening things in the meantime, but as you seem to have information of your own...?

[chronomancer]

[A sigh.]

Things went sour, alright? They went from bad to worse to fucked in record time.

[tortileghostwriter]

[Just. Going to hold the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb.]

Damn it man, details. Vagaries don't help in the slightest, despite what you may like to believe.

[chronomancer]

You're dead, David. Everyone's dead.

[tortileghostwriter]

[He's silent for a long moment. His face shifts to further anger, but only for a moment.

He laughs. He laughs, and even without that damnable echo it's cold and hollow, entirely without humor, but increasing in volume and urgency as it goes on. His shadow starts writhing even more, violently, and that fucking twisting feeling in his chest is back and strong. Black creeps into his vision again, obscuring his eyes.

He hasn't quite given in, not yet, but...her influence is there in spades. Even compared to the usual situation. The peals of empty laughter stop suddenly, like a siren being shut off. His entirely flat expression shows it for what it was--fake, if a brief way of coping with the sheer infuriating lunacy of the situation.]

So then, Eridan. What you mean to tell me, what you've been hiding--though, now it seems rather wisely, to your credit--is that it's happened again! The fucking shithouse mess claimed us all again in round two. How did it go this time, hmm? I do imagine Feferi was involved, judging from her resplendent appearance on arrival.

[chronomancer]

[Eridan's face closed off, eyes narrowing behind the sunglasses as his lips pulled back his teeth in an unconscious snarl. When he spoke, there was something very dangerous in his voice, something that hadn't been there before. Because David didn't scare him, anymore. He would have been terrified, if only he hadn't opened his mouth and brought Feferi up. Eridan stood up.]

You will leave my moirail out 'a this.

[That was not a request.]

[tortileghostwriter]

Fine. It's hardly the fucking point, anyway.

[Less criticizing her, more...venturing that she was involved.]

All of it had happened before.

[chronomancer]

[He didn't sit down again, though the snarl toned down a little. Then he snorted.]

All of it has happened far too many fucking times.

[Eridan dug his fingers into his hair, trying to get himself under control. Focused. He does not let himself be taken by anger. He dooms himself when he gets angry. He needs to be focused and calm and cool headed and it's very hard, when David is setting off every single self-preservation instinct he has and he talks so casually about Fef--]

So Jade and I said fuck it. Fuck it, David. No more going back, no more trying over and over again. We were done with the fucking game.

[tortileghostwriter]

[Fuck the game.

We contend that there is a choice.

He laughs again, low and harshly and entirely without humor.]

You scratched, I take it? Oh, yes, very good, an excellent way. Go out like a flame, defy it all, hmmm?

It's an excellent idea, but it's hardly the way to be done!

[chronomancer]

We both Scratched it.

[Eridan snarled, skirting the edge of feral. But no, no, hold back, keep it cool. Keep it together.]

So you and us are gone, gone, and fuck the Game and those who have to play it, at least it wouldn't be us.

[tortileghostwriter]

I suppose you both did well, if it was the two of you.

[and time to drop this little bomb outright.]

Or at the very least, it makes our end result somewhat less abysmal on this go!

After all.

I did it alone the last time.

[chronomancer]

[And it goes as well as one could expect!]

...wwhat.

[tortileghostwriter]

Oh my. Have I stuttered?

[chronomancer]

[Your name is Eridan Ampora and you have just lost all your shit. All of it.]

Shut your fucking wordflap, Lalonde.

[You also look like you're contemplating violence of the feral kind on the closest thing available.]

I'm trying to think here.

[tortileghostwriter]

Oh, my apologies, Eridan. By all means! Find a solution. I'll stand by and let you figure it all out.

[He crosses his arms, leaning against the wall. David fixes Eridan with the same deadeye expression as before, almost challenging him.]