Cold waves crashed into the shoreline, filling the air with a constant whisper. A lone seadwelling troll stood on the beach, just out of reach of the incoming tide. His glasses had flecks of saltwater on them, but he ignored them. Cleaning them would be useless. With a sigh he turned on his strikingly-colored shoes and began to walk back to his hive. His lusus - the faithful and noble Skyhorse - held its head up at his approach but returned to its rest as the troll passed.
Open the door.
Shut the door.
Grab a glass and two bottles - one Faygo, one whiskey. Troll Jack Daniels, Old No. 8. Vriska Serket's recommendation, unsurprisingly. He cringed at the thought, feeling his vascular system wince at the mere thought of her. He filled the glass with the whiskey, shot it back in one gulp then followed with a Faygo chaser. Grape flavored. An interesting, yet horrid taste in his mouth. Sighing he reclines in a chair, his striped pants stretching out to reach the foot rest. The scarf has ridden up the back of his head a little from his shift in position, but he doesn't mind. In fact, it feels rather comfortable - almost like a little pillow.
He closes his eyes for a bit. The night was emotionally taxing. He had made a red advance on his longtime moirail, Feferi Peixes. For years he had wanted to advance their relationship and be matesprits, but the feelings were unreciprocated. The rejection had hurt worse than anything and the entire incident had almost ruined their moirallegience, but in that moment, he had been just too pitiful. They had a feelings session, a deep and intimate talk that helped alleviate all their emotional baggage. They were both confident that they could make it through these rough waters - pun intended, both being seadwellers. As if that wasn't bad enough, his kismesissitude with Vriska Serket - a relationship that had been falling apart for some time now - had finally ended. He had tried to be a worthy rival, tried to get under her skin and into her head and to drive her insane with hate; his passion and commitment were admirable, but simply not enough. She left him with a smirk and not the bat of an eyelash.
Needless to say, the rejection of both his concupiscient interests in one night had left him emotionally exhausted. To compound his woes, he had fallen asleep in his chair and not his recuperacoon. He had managed to catch a few hours of shut-eye before the nightmares began. It was a surprisingly lucid dream. It seemed like he was watching himself live, but at the same time living it. He was on a meteor. All of his quadrants were broken. He saw Feferi - his beloved Feferi - with a lowblood, the bipolar hacker, Sollux Captor. There was a hollow rage in his heart, but his dream self was furious for some reason. Karkat Vantas and Kanaya Maryam, two of his good friends, were helpless onlookers. He raised his arm, wielding some sort of white... wand? The idea was silly. Magic wasn't real. And yet, he fired blinding white light at Sollux, slamming him against a wall. Mustard-colored blood flowed across the floor. The rest happened in a blur. Feferi, crying and then turning on him in rage. Killing her. Turning on Kanaya and destroying what looked like a matriorb. Kanaya attacking in a rage before joining Feferi on the floor. It was terrifying. He would never kill his friends! Kanaya was one of his closest platonic pals, and Feferi - well, the thought of killing her was unbearable.
But he didn't wake up. Not yet, anyway. He approached Karkat. An extremely-bloodied Gamzee Makara was there wearing Equius Zahhak's glasses and Nepeta Leijon's hat - and both of their blood. Vriska was there, too, wearing some ridiculous orange pajamas and sporting fairy wings. Before anyone could make a move, Kanaya appeared; a hole in her guts where he had shot her with the white light. Faster than thought possible, Gamzee was kicked in his crotch and sent off of a platform, Vriska was sent skidding across the metal decking from a vicious punch and the dreamer - the dreamer had his wand taken from him in his shock, broken before his eyes and was then sawed in half by Kanaya. His vision tumbled as he fell and he could feel the slamming of his back on the metal floor. He could feel the numbness of shock fade away into sharp pain before numbing again with something else. He could feel the cold metal at his back turn warm in wet. He couldn't feel his lower body. He could feel the life leaving him, and he could feel that all of his bridges had been burned. He could feel the hateful and judging eyes of all of his friends - dead and bloodied and broken - gazing down on him.
And then, thankfully, he woke up.
Eridan Ampora sat up sharply, knocking the empty glass from the arm of his recliner. It bounced on the floor but neither cracked nor shattered. Breathing heavily and in a cold sweat, Eridan checked his body for any signs of mutilation. Perfectly fine, physically speaking. His breathing slowed and he allowed himself to relax a little. Checking the time Eridan wasn't surprised to see it was about early day - he had slept for less than two hours. He couldn't go back to sleep, but there weren't many friends he could talk to at this hour. Fortunately, one of the trolls he wanted to talk to was up at this hour. Moving to the chair in front of his husktop, Eridan activated his Trollian and was pleased to see she was online.
caligulasAquarium began trolling grimAuxiliatrix at 5:00 a.m.
CA: hey kan
CA: are you up or did you just forget to log out?
GA: Eridan? Why Are You Up At This Hour?
CA: oh good you're online
CA: yeah I wwas just wwanting to
CA: I guess I just wwanted to make sure you're alright or somefin.
GA: Although It Confuses Me, I Appreciate The Concern. I Am Fine.
GA: Why Are You Acting So Peculiar, If You Don't Mind My Asking?
CA: I fell asleep out a my recuperacoon and had the most lucid fuckin dream I'vve evver had
GA: Oh My.
GA: Still, I Don't See Why You'd Ask About My Well-Being. If Anything, I'd Be Concerned For You. Are You Quite Alright, Eridan?
CA: relax I'm fine
CA: in the dream
CA: I killed you Sol an Fef.
GA: That Is Quite Distressing.
GA: You Must Be Unnerved To Be Contacting Me At This Hour And Checking If I'm Alright.
CA: to be honest I can't go back to sleep
CA: I reelly needed to make sure it wwasn't real
GA: It Was Just A Dream, Eridan. You Can Relax.
CA: it felt so reel though
GA: Eridan, Just Relax And Try To Go To Sleep. In Your Recuperacoon, This Time.
GA: You've Had Quite A Stressful Night From What I've Heard And Should Get Some Proper Rest.
CA: so Vvrisk told you about us?
GA: Naturally. She Is My Moirail, After All.
CA: nyeh
GA: Please Get Some Sleep, Eridan, Before I Start Worrying About You.
CA: alright alright
CA: leavve the wworryin' to Fef
CA: wwell if she's still up to bein my moirail
GA: I Have It On Good Authority That She Still Feels Pale For You.
CA: oh yeah?
CA: wwho'd you hear that from?
GA: That Isn't Important. You Should Get Some Rest.
CA: I think you made it up
GA: Go To Sleep, Eridan.
grimAuxiliatrix quit trolling caligulasAquarium at 5:14 a.m.
CA: fine fine
CA: I'll go to sleep then
CA: I'm just glad it wwas just a dream
caligulasAquarium quit pesting grimAuxiliatrix at 5:15 a.m.
Eridan did retire to his recuperacoon after that, making sure to change out of his clothes first, of course. It was an uneventful sleep, for which he was thankful for. When he woke up it was already well past dusk. Eridan bathed in his ablution trap and got dressed for the day. Same old long-sleeve. Same old striped pants. Same old cape. Same old rings. Same old glasses. He considered assembling his FLARP crew and sailing the seas of Alternia, but his FLARPing only reminded him of Vriska and he wanted to avoid that. It hurt less after that nightmare. The nightmare had shown him that it could always have been worse.
So he logged into Trollian to see what was up. Feferi was on and they talked for a bit. He told her about his dream and she assured him it was just a dream and she knew he'd never do anything like that to her. She was a little interested in the Sollux part, however. The two of them were friends, sure, but they hardly interacted. Not only that, but Sollux was in a steady matespritship with Aradia Megido. Eridan was already feeling better. He even played the part of a good moirail and humored Feferi for a bit as she complained about all the suitors that kept trying to fill her quadrants. Eridan was jealous. Trolls lining up to fill her quadrants and she's getting fed up with it? That was laughable.
Eventually Feferi logged off and Eridan was left with few choices on who to troll next. Apart from a few of his more loyal crew members (who didn't like talking to him anyway) the only one of his friends online was Nepeta. He couldn't help but sigh and massage his eyelids with his thumb and forefinger. Just thinking of the cave-inhabiting, hyperactive, roleplaying shipper troll was exasperating. Whenever they talked it was usually because they had no one better to talk to, and their conversations were usually a bit stilted. She thought he was a creep and he thought she was a lowblood. Granted she was a lowblood, but he didn't have to be so in-your-face about it.
Still, Eridan was feeling exceptionally friendly this night. It probably had to do with his dream or the fact he was overjoyed to still be on good terms with his moirail after the awkward rejection at a flushed relationship. In his dream he had counted Nepeta among his dead friends, and the loss had hurt almost as Feferi's and certainly more than Kanaya's. This was odd to him. Kanaya was a close friend. In fact, he had even toyed with the idea that when Feferi and him moved on to be matesprits, Kanaya might fill the pale void. She was always willing to listen and he had always said she was the one landweller he wouldn't kill. A sharp pain shot through his heart as he remembered killing her in his dream. Shuddering, he prepared to troll Nepeta before he realized she had already started trolling him while he was lost in thought.
arsenicCatnip began trolling caligulasAquarium at 9:48 p.m.
AC: :33 *ac appurroaches the rifur that hides the pawssage to ca's underwater city*
AC: :33 *purrhaps ca will grace her with his purresence this evening*
AC: :33 *ac patiently waits by fur his arrival*
AC: :33 (Are you there, Eridan?)
CA: oh sorry Nep
AC: :33 *ac is not sure, but she thinks she heard someone apologize*
CA: oh glub do I reelly havve to do the stupid roleplayin thin wwith you?
AC: :(( If you don't want to we don't have to.
CA: wwhatevver
CA: *ca rolls his fuckin eyes at this ridiculous situation*
AC: :DD *ac happily pounces on her furiend, ca*
CA: *ca pushes ac off of him*
CA: howw you been Nep?
AC: :/ ...
CA: oh my glub
CA: howw you been Nep?
CA: *he asks because a this fuckin wwriggler shit scenario*
AC: :33 I've been purrfect! How have you been? *ac asks with an adorable twitch of her whiskers*
CA: i'vve had better days honestly
CA: *ca says wwistfully*
AC: :(( Awwww, why's that? *ac asks while curling up in ca's lap. ac doesn't like to see her furiends sad*
CA: nothin reelly
CA: Vvrisk an I broke up an Fef rejected my flushed advvances
CA: *he said solemnly*
AC: :OO Oh my gog, that's terrible! *ac frowns sympathetically at ca's misfurtunes*
AC: :(( Are you sure you're holding up alright?
CA: yeah
CA: I mean I wwas pretty sad yesterday but then I had this nightmare
CA: actually forget I mentioned that. I'd rather not get into that mess a wwhaleshit at the moment
CA: *he said wwoefully*
AC: :/ You don't have to keep roleplaying if you don't want to.
CA: actually I'm kind a gettin into it noww
CA: *ca offers his first smile a the night*
AC: :33 *ac returns the smile warmly, glad to see her furiend is cheering up*
AC: :? What about a nightmare
CA: *ca sighs*
CA: I didn't really wwant to talk about it but I had a reelly bad nightmare cause I fell asleep outside a my recuperacoon
AC: :OO Oh no!
CA: yeah it wwas pretty fuckin' bad. I dreamt I killed Sol Fef an Kan before gettin krilled by Kan later.
CA: I'm actually not shore howw she managed to get back up
CA: I'm also not too shore I killed Sol either
AC: :(( That's a horrible dream! I'm sorry, Eridan.
CA: *shrugs* nyeh it ain't your fault
CA: I'm the idiot that didn't sleep in his recuperacoon
AC: :33 All the same I feel bad fur you. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?
CA: wwell wwe could meet up an do somefin
CA: shit I'm sorry that came out wwrong!
CA: I mean
CA: if you wwanted wwe could hang out in person
CA: because I'vve nevver actually met you in person but I had this strange feelin about you in my dream an
CA: ok wwait I'm not sure wwhere that last sentence wwas goin or wwhy I sent it wwithout finishin it. my finger slipped an hit the enter button instead a the backspace!
AC: :/
CA: cod you must think I'm a real creep right noww
AC: :33 Only a little more than usual. *ac meows playfurry at the expense of her baffled furiend*
AC: :? What did you mean whehen you said I was in your dream?
CA: it's nofin
AC: :/ Eridan are you keeping something furom me?
CA: I
CA: in my dream
CA: wwell
AC: :/
CA: Gam wwas wwearin your hat an Eq's glasses
CA: an both a your guys' blood
AC: :OO That's horrible!
CA: hey I wwasn't in control a the dream!
CA: for some reason I wwas reel upset about you bein dead
CA: wwhich is wweird since out a all our friends you havve to agree the twwo a us chat the least a all. seriously wwe only interact wwith each other wwhen no one else is online
AC: :/ Yeah. I guess I noticed that.
CA: hey you asked
CA: all I knoww is that in the dream it felt like you wwere dead an after I died an I saww all a us dead an evveryone wwas judgin me for wwhat I did your death hurt almost as much as Fef's death
AC: :(( You died in your dream too?
CA: I think the only one's that didn't die wwere Kar an Rezi
CA: an Vvrisk but she got knocked the fuck out
CA: an Kan came back to life so...
CA: an I nevver actually did figure out if I killed Sol or if Gam survvivved the fall or not...
AC: :(( Please stop talking. *ac is very, very sad now*
CA: oh yeah sorry Nep
CA: point is I felt really bad wwhen you died an I told Fef about it an she thinks the twwo a us should hang out more
CA: like maybe the dream wwas tellin me that wwe'd be reelly good fronds or somefin. I don't knoww wwhy seein howw far beloww me you are on the hemospectrum
AC: :(( I thought you didn't care about the hemospectrum anymore?
CA: can you stop frowwnin? it's bummin me out
CA: an I mean I still care it's just
CA: wwell I havve more lowwblood dirtscrapin friends than I do high blood friends
CA: actually Fef is my only highblood friend
CA: Eq hates me professionally since I'm a seadwweller an Gam is
CA: wwell he's Gam
AC: :33 H33h33!
AC: :/ But your lowblood comments still hurt, Eridan. Frankly you sound like an ass when you say things like that :((
CA: wwhoa! wwhere is this comin from? you'vve nevver been this straightforwward before
AC: :33 You like it? Kanaya suggested I be more assertive to attract Karkitty 3
CA: an is it wworkin?
AC: ;33 Wouldn't you like to know?
CA: so friend-zoned I take it?
AC: :(( Yeah...
CA: yeah I been there
CA: for wwhat it's wworth I think you're swwell
CA: for a lowwblood landwweller
CA: *he said playfully*
AC: :33 H33h33!
AC: :33 Anyway, what were you saying earlier about m33ting up in real life?
CA: oh
CA: I don't knoww I wwas just playin wwith an idea
AC: :33 I think it's a good idea. I don't see enough of my furiends and it'd be great to m33t some of you in person, especially befur we have to leave Alternia to join the fl33t and efurrything :((
CA: reelly?
CA: I mean yeah wwe should meet up
CA: do you livve near a coastline?
AC: :33 There's a stream that leads to the coast nearby. Sometimes I fish from there :PP
CA: do you get seasick?
AC: :33 Well, I don't like water, but I don't think I get seasick.
CA: great! wwant to meet aboard my flagship?
AC: :OO You mean the ship you use to play FLARP with Vriska?
CA: please don't mention Vvrisk
AC: :(( Sorry
CA: it's alright an yeah it's the same ship
CA: wwhy? is there a problem?
AC: :33 No! I'm just excited! I've nefur been on a purriate ship befur!
CA: oh good
CA: I think I remember the coast you're closest to. Wwhen do you wwant to meet?
AC: :33 Hmmm. How about just after dusk tomorrow?
CA: swweepin in all romantic
CA: I like it
AC: :? Romantic?
CA: I mean like romanticism not romance
CA: sorry to get your hopes up Nep
CA: *ca says playfully*
AC: :33 H33h33, you're goofy! *ac waves her paw derissively at ca's antics*
CA: see you tomorrow then
AC: :33 Sounds good! S33 you then, Eridan *ac meows appreciatively in thanks before turning to leave* Bye!
CA: bye
arsenicCatnip quit trolling caligulasAquarium at 10:23 p.m.
Eridan sat back in his chair, slightly flustered. What the hell was up with all of his romantic slip-ups? He wasn't feeling flushed for Nepeta was he? His cheeks turned a violet hue out of shame and embarrassment. He tried to convince himself that he was being ridiculous and desperate. He was not feeling flushed for Nepeta! She was just the first troll he talked to after Feferi and all the romantic tension from Feferi and the heartache was making him crave companionship so he started trying to make passes at Nepeta as an attempted rebound. Yeah, that was it. That totally made sense.
All of a sudden Eridan felt his vascular system go into overdrive just thinking about Nepeta. Her kindness. Her loyalty. Her insufferable cat puns and how much Eridan hated to admit they were adorable. He had seen pictures of her too. Her filthy long coat and stupid hat. Her fingerless gloves and shoddy pants and those ridiculous shoes. Her shining eyes. Her messy, short locks framing her poorly-cleaned face, bare of any make-up. Her unique smile and those precious little fangs. Eridan felt himself itch all over as sweat spots started to form around his neck and beneath his arms. He ran to his ablution chamber and looked himself in the mirror: face flushed purple and lips trembling.
"Oh... cod." he muttered to himself.
Where had these feelings come from? He splashed water onto his face and dried off. Now was not the time to be freaking out. He had to get a few of his deckhands together to crew his ship. Flushed feelings or whatever they were, Eridan wasn't going to stand Nepeta up. He'd deal with the emotions later - right now he had to plan.
